wheat germ and wheat germ oil showed significant reductions in blood glucose, serum lipid profiles, liver and kidney function markers, TNF-α, leptin, and resistin, while increasing gluthatione and enzyme levels
wheat germ and wheat germ oil
Wheat germ (WG) is a by-product of the flour milling industry. During the milling process, the germ is separated from the bran and starch. The germ is the most valuable part of the wheat, making up about 2.5% of its weight, and is important in the food processing industry due to its high nutritional value. It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and proteins. Wheat Germ is particularly high in tocopherols and B complex vitamins. Its protein contains a high concentration of amino acids, especially essential ones like lysine, methionine, and threonine. Wheat Germ helps prevent heart diseases, cancers, and diabetes. It also helps reduce obesity and slow the aging process. Wheat Germ contains as much as 10% oil, which is used in many products.
Wheat germ oil (WGO) is extracted from the germ of the wheat kernel. WGO is a beneficial source of essential fatty acids, protein, and minerals, and is high in vitamins A, D, E, and B. Wheat Germ Oil (WGO) is considered a natural antioxidant due to its high vitamin E content, which inhibits inflammation. WGO can lower oxidative stress, improve lipid metabolism, and decrease blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Metabolic disturbances refer to a state characterized by at least three cardiovascular risk factors: hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, obesity, fat storage, and hypertension. This condition involves oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation.
The aim of this study was to analyze wheat germ and investigate the possible protective effects of wheat germ powder and oil on rats fed a high-fat and high-fructose diet.
Spermidine in wheat germ
Spermidine is a natural polyamine that helps induce autophagy
Spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine compound found in various foods, including wheat germ. It plays a crucial role in cellular functions such as growth, proliferation, and differentiation. In wheat germ, spermidine is present as part of its rich nutritional profile, which also includes vitamins, minerals, proteins, and antioxidants. Spermidine has gained attention for its potential health benefits, particularly in promoting autophagy—a cellular process that helps maintain cellular health by degrading and recycling damaged cellular components. This process is associated with various anti-aging and disease prevention effects.
This “cell recycling” process is critical for healthy aging. Without appropriate intervention, autophagy decreases with age, reducing cellular function.
Research shows that spermidine helps with anti-aging, promotes cell renewal, induces autophagy and mitochondrial function, and extends lifespan.
Objective
fructose specific
The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of wheat germ powder and oil against metabolic disturbances induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet in rats. Thirty-six male rats were divided into six groups with six rats each as follows:
- Group 1: Normal control rats fed a standard diet.
- Group 2: Rats fed a standard diet with 20% wheat germ powder.
- Group 3: Rats fed a standard diet and received wheat germ oil (1.5 ml/kg body weight per day) orally.
- Group 4: Positive control group fed a high-fat diet and high-fructose drinking water (HF and HFr).
- Group 5: Rats fed HF and HFr with 20% wheat germ powder.
- Group 6: Rats fed HF and HFr and received wheat germ oil (1.5 ml/kg body weight per day) orally for six weeks.
Results indicated that wheat germ is rich in nutrients. The group fed HF and HFr showed significantly higher levels of blood glucose, serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-c), VLDL cholesterol (VLDL-c), liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP), creatinine, uric acid, TNF-α, leptin, and resistin, along with a decrease in serum HDL cholesterol (HDL-c), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT) compared to the negative control group. However, the groups fed HF and HFr supplemented with wheat germ powder or oil showed significant reductions in blood glucose, serum lipid profiles, liver and kidney function markers, TNF-α, leptin, and resistin, while increasing GSH and CAT levels compared to the positive control group.
Based on these results, it can be recommended that the consumption of wheat germ powder and oil may be beneficial for individuals suffering from high glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels, as well as for reducing inflammatory responses.
Results
Controlling diabetes and insulin resistance can be achieved by modulating inflammatory cytokines and adipokines
The results show that the positive control group (HF and HFr diet) experienced a significant reduction in the activity of glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT), along with a significant increase in TNF-α, leptin, and resistin compared to the negative control group.
In contrast, the groups fed the HF and HFr diet supplemented with wheat germ (WG) and wheat germ oil (WGO) showed a significant increase in the activity of GSH and CAT enzymes. Furthermore, the levels of TNF-α, leptin, and resistin in these groups were closer to the values of the negative control group compared to the positive control group.
Our results indicate that administering WG and WGO led to a significant increase in the activity of glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) enzymes, and a reduction in TNF-α, leptin, and resistin levels.
These results may be due to antioxidants such as vitamin E, total phenols, and flavonoids, which protect unsaturated fats in the body from oxidation (Yousef et al., 2006; Leenhardt et al., 2008; Katiyar et al., 2011; Zhu et al., 2011). This aligns with findings from Ayman et al. (2016), who reported that oral supplementation of wheat germ oil (WGO) significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes GPx and SOD compared to the positive control group. Additionally, the authors found that WGO decreased TNF-α levels and increased glutathione in the brain, likely due to the high α-tocopherol content in the oil (El-Marasy et al., 2012).
Controlling diabetes and insulin resistance can be achieved by modulating inflammatory cytokines and adipokines (Zhang and Gao, 2016). Several studies have shown that high leptin levels are associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes (Tong et al., 2005). Wheat germ powder and oil can improve lipid profiles, reduce blood glucose levels and inflammatory cytokines, and protect the body from the side effects of metabolic disturbances. It is recommended that further research be conducted to incorporate wheat germ powder and oil into food plans and diabetic diets.
Adipokine – Protein
Adipokines, are cytokines secreted by adipose tissue. Some contribute to an obesity-related low-grade state of inflammation or to the development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The most well-known adipokine released from fat tissue is leptin. Leptin is a hormone that helps regulate energy balance and maintain a healthy body weight by suppressing hunger and providing a feeling of fullness. It’s produced in adipose tissue (body fat) and the small intestine, and its levels increase as body fat mass increases. Leptin signals the brain’s hypothalamus, which then alters food intake and controls energy expenditure over time.
The adipokine, resistin, is also released from adipose tissue. Resistin is an adipokine, a hormone secreted by adipose tissue, that has been linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation.
more results…
high fat, high sugar decreases nutritional food benefits, increases weight and decreases satiety
The study looked at how different diets affected mice in terms of their body weight, food intake, and body composition. At the beginning of the diet, all the mice had similar body weights for the first three weeks. However, starting from the fourth week, some mice started gaining more weight than others, and this difference continued until the study ended after 12 weeks. The diets had a big impact on how much the mice ate each day, with the high-fat, high-sugar (HFS) diet making the mice eat more compared to the control diet. The HFS diet also caused the mice to have more fat and less lean muscle compared to the control diet.
When it came to glucose (sugar) and insulin (a hormone) in their bodies, the mice on the HFS diet had higher blood sugar levels than those on the control diet. After getting a shot of glucose, the HFS mice still had higher blood sugar levels compared to the control mice. The total amount of sugar in their blood over time was also higher in the HFS group. However, adding whole grains (WG) to their diets reduced how much insulin they needed.
Looking at their blood fats, the HFS diet made the mice have higher levels of certain fats, while WG increased a different type of fat in the control diet group but not in the HFS group. The HFS diet also affected how their heart and liver cells worked, but adding WG appeared to balance these effects.
Overall, adding WG to the diet seemed to have some positive effects, like reducing the amount of fat around their organs and lowering their need for insulin.
detailed results…
Body Weights, Food Intake, and Body Composition
At the beginning of the dietary treatment, mice had similar body weights through the 3rd week. However, starting from the 4th week, significant differences in body weights were observed, continuing until the end of the 12-week study. There was a significant main effect of both high-fat, high-sucrose (HFS) diet and whole grain (WG) on weekly body weight. Mice on the HFS diet showed increased body weight compared to the control group starting from week 5. By the end of the 12 weeks, the control diet group had the lowest body weight, while the other groups were statistically similar.
Food intake (energy content consumed per day) showed a significant main effect of HFS. HFS diets decreased relative lean mass and increased fat mass compared to control diets. WG addition also showed a trend towards decreased lean mass and increased fat mass. HFS diets reduced relative liver weight and increased visceral fat mass, with WG showing no effect on liver weight. HFS increased visceral fat mass by 32% compared to control, but WG supplementation in the HFS diet reduced visceral fat mass.
Glucose and Insulin Metabolism
After 11 weeks of dietary treatment, the glucose tolerance test (GTT) indicated that mice on the HFS diet had 23% higher baseline blood glucose compared to control. Mice on the WG diet had similar baseline glucose levels to both control and HFS diets. Post-glucose injection, there was a significant interaction effect of HFS and WG, with HFS significantly increasing blood glucose at 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes compared to control. The 19% decrease in blood glucose at 120 minutes in the HFS + WG group was not statistically significant.
HFS feeding significantly increased total area under the curve (tAUC) for glucose by 48% compared to control. WG addition had no significant effect on tAUC. Despite an 8% decrease in tAUC in the HFS + WG group, it was not significant. WG addition to both control and HFS diets resulted in a 50% reduction in fasting insulin and decreased serum GIP.
Serum Lipids
Serum triglycerides showed a significant main effect of HFS and a trend for HFS and WG interaction. WG significantly increased serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in the control diet group, but not in the HFS diet groups. Both HFS and WG increased serum cholesterol. HDL was elevated in the HFS group compared to control, with WG having no effect.
Hepatic and Cardiac Mitochondrial Respirometry
Mitochondrial respiration was assessed by measuring oxygen consumption rate (OCR). HFS and WG did not affect hepatic mitochondrial OCR during basal and maximum respiration, electron transport chain complexes, and proton leak. However, in myocardial mitochondria, HFS and WG significantly reduced complex 1 OCR. HFS significantly increased complex 2 OCR by 45% compared to control, but this was normalized in the HFS + WG group. HFS decreased complex 5 OCR by 23%, with WG addition showing no significant effect. Complex 4 OCR showed a non-significant trend towards decrease with WG.
Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Antioxidant Gene Expression
Hepatic gene expression related to mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidants was mostly unaffected by dietary treatments, except for WG increasing hepatic Sod2 expression by 38%. In the heart, HFS significantly reduced Pgc1α expression by 49% compared to control. WG decreased Pgc1α in the control diet but increased it in the HFS + WG group to levels seen in control and HFS groups. Pgc1β expression was not significantly altered by the diets. HFS reduced Sod2 expression by 45% compared to control, with WG in the HFS diet showing a non-significant trend to counteract this reduction. Cytoplasmic Sod1 and extracellular Sod3 expressions were unaffected by dietary treatments.
Why obesity matters?
Insulin is closely linked to the progression of cancer, but scientists don’t fully understand how this happens. Recent research shows that changes in metabolism are important for cancer cells to grow. In recent studies, researchers elucidate how insulin helps cancer cells get energy. Specifically, they looked at how insulin affects a key enzyme in metabolism called pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and the study identifies new PKM2-mediated effects of insulin on cancer metabolism, thus, advancing the understanding of insulin’s role in cancer.
The rising obesity epidemic has led to a big increase in many related diseases. Recent research has shown a strong connection between obesity-related insulin resistance (IR), diabetes mellitus (DM), and cancer. Many recent studies have looked into this link. Although details remain elusive, it’s becoming clear that high insulin levels and possibly high blood sugar levels are important in both the development of cancer and how well treatments work. As scientists learn more, this information might change how doctors decide to treat both diabetes and cancer.
healthy blueberry wheat germ muffins
Low in sugar, additional yogurt and high in anti-oxidants. Quick and easy recipe.
how it works
Controlling diabetes and insulin resistance can be achieved by modulating inflammatory cytokines and adipokines (Zhang and Gao, 2016). Several studies have shown that high leptin levels are associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes (Tong et al., 2005). Wheat germ powder and oil can improve lipid profiles, reduce blood glucose levels and inflammatory cytokines, and protect the body from the side effects of metabolic disturbances.
Wheat Germ and Wheat Germ Oil led to a significant increase in the activity of glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) enzymes, and a reduction in TNF-α, leptin, and resistin levels.
These results may be due to antioxidants, phenols, and flavonoids, which protect unsaturated fats in the body from oxidation (Yousef et al., 2006; Leenhardt et al., 2008; Katiyar et al., 2011; Zhu et al., 2011). This aligns with reported findings that oral supplementation of wheat germ oil (WGO) significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes GPx and SOD compared to the positive control group.
conclusion
WG from Oklahoma red winter wheat were obtained from Shawnee Milling Co., analysed for its nutrient composition by NP Analytical Laboratories, and added to the control or HFS diets (10%, w/w). The WG diets were adjusted to have the same macronutrient composition, Ca and P to the control or HFS diets.
how to
This study using both Wheat Germ and/or Wheat Germ Oil was conducted for 12 weeks.
safety
Gluten sensitive or other allergen sensitive people should avoid wheat germ. Refined wheat germ oil typically contains no gluten. Wheat germ was well tolerated and is a natural food.
Wheat germ and individual components have been extensively studied for a cross range of conditions, wheat germ oil has similar benefits.
According to the US FDA, wheat germ oil is gluten-free if it contains no more than 20 parts per million of gluten. This is because the refining process typically removes all gluten proteins from wheat germ oil. However, it’s possible that refined oils may contain trace amounts of gluten.
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