Crude Wheat germ oil is a bright orange-red oil with a
very clear characteristic fresh odor. Refined wheat germ
oil is a bright yellow, virtually odorless oil. Wheat
Germ oil much appreciated for its high content of
vitamin E. The red-orange color is caused by the
presence of cartenoids, precursors of vitamin A.
Origin
For
the production of Wheat Germ oil, the wheat germs are
carefully separated from the kernels during milling, and
properly stabilized to avoid quick degradation before
extraction. As the yield of wheat germ oil is less than
0.2%, most of the oil is solvent extracted. In a few
rare cases Wheat Germ oil is produced by cold pressing
only. Because of the huge grain processing facilities in
the Mid West of the United States, most of the Wheat
Germ is produced in the USA.
Properties
Since 40 years, Wheat Germ oil has gained its place in
the cosmetic industry, because of its excellent efficacy
in many skin care products. The oil is a well known
carrier of Vitamin E. The tocopherol content of crude
wheatgerm exceeds 2,000 ppm, but even the refined oil
still contains over 1,000 ppm tocopherol. Apart from
Vitamin E, Wheat Germ oil also contains high amounts of
pro-vitamin A and Phystosterols. Furthermore it has a
balanced composition of essential fatty acids i.e. it
contains over 50% linoleic acid (Omega-6) and 5%
a-linoleic acid
(Omega-3).
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