Overview
About Wheat germ oil
Wheat germ oil is cold pressed from the germ, the embryo of the wheat kernel, and it is unusual on two counts.
It is the richest common dietary source of vitamin E, by a wide margin, and it is so unstable that it is sold refrigerated in small bottles and is essentially unusable for cooking. It is a supplement and a finishing oil rather than a kitchen staple. The question it exists to answer here is the gluten one, and the answer is more careful than a simple yes or no, which is why this row grades moderate rather than clean on gluten.
Sensitivities
How Wheat germ oil scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Gluten grades moderate rather than clean, and that grade is defensible. Gluten is a protein and pure oil contains essentially none, but wheat germ oil is cold pressed and unrefined, it is pressed from a wheat fraction, and the equipment is a wheat processing line. For coeliac disease that combination is a reason for caution rather than reassurance.
- It oxidises faster than almost any other edible oil, because it is very high in polyunsaturated fat and the vitamin E only slows the process. Keep it refrigerated, buy small, and discard it when it smells of old paint.
- Do not cook with it. Heat destroys the vitamin E that is the reason to buy it and accelerates the rancidity it is already prone to.
- It is often sold as a supplement in capsules for the vitamin E, which is a different product and a different dose from a bottle used as a dressing oil.
- Not AIP compliant, since the autoimmune protocol excludes grain derived oils.
Diet fit
Where it fits
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FAQ
Common questions about Wheat germ oil
Is wheat germ oil gluten free?
It should not be treated as gluten free, which is why it grades moderate rather than clean here. The theoretical case for safety is that gluten is a protein and a pure oil contains negligible protein. The practical case against is stronger for coeliac disease: this is an unrefined, cold pressed oil made from a wheat fraction on wheat handling equipment, and unrefined oils carry more residual protein than refined ones. Highly refined wheat derived ingredients such as glucose syrup are treated as safe under gluten labelling rules, but a cold pressed germ oil is not in that category. If you are coeliac, avoid it unless a specific product carries certified gluten free testing.
Why is wheat germ oil so high in vitamin E?
Because the germ is the part of the grain that has to survive and sprout. Vitamin E is a fat soluble antioxidant that protects the germ lipids from going rancid while the seed waits to germinate, so the plant concentrates it there. Milling white flour removes the germ, which is why refined flour loses most of the vitamin E along with it. Wheat germ oil ends up as the most concentrated common food source of alpha-tocopherol, well ahead of sunflower or almond oil.
Can you cook with wheat germ oil?
No, and it is worth being firm about it. Wheat germ oil is very high in polyunsaturated fat and has a low smoke point, so heat degrades it quickly, produces off flavours and destroys the vitamin E that is the main reason to use it at all. It also goes rancid unusually fast even unopened, which is why it is sold in small dark bottles and kept refrigerated. Use it cold, in a dressing or drizzled over food after cooking, and replace it well before a year is out.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.