Benefits of Wheat Germ for Dogs

The many benefits of wheat germ are a good reason for including wheat germ oil or wheat germ in your homemade dog treats.

Wheat, and breads made from it, have long been considered to be the “staff of life” or “gift of the gods”. In fact, the cultivation of wheat can be traced back to southwestern Asia to the period from 10,000 to 15,000 B.C.

Wheat Germ Benefits

There’s a good reason that whole wheat has been highly regarded in countries all over the world and for thousands of years. Wheat is a nutrient dense food.

It is high in B vitamins (for enhanced immunity), high in vitamin E for heart health and it possibly gives protection from some cancers.

Whole wheat flour (with the wheat germ intact) contains selenium (which may protect against lung cancer), and potassium and zinc.

Whole wheat flour gives you many of the benefits of wheat germ and wheat bran found in wheat berries. With its high fiber content, it is one of the best preventives to constipation.

All in all, wheat is one of the healthiest foods available to man or animal!

Why Wheat Germ is Healthy

• It is rich in fiber for heart health, cancer protection and good digestive function
• Wheat germ is a great source of vitamins like B complex and vitamin E.
• And it is one of the very best sources of zinc!

To add wheat germ to a recipe, simply substitute 2-4 tablespoons of wheat germ for flour in your favorite home-made dog treat recipe, to make it healthier.

Bleached White Flour vs. Whole Wheat Flour

Bleached flour has been “bleached” by using chemicals.

Do you know how they first discovered that bleaching flour was harmful?

The wild dogs living around flour mills started dying. This was the clue that led to the discovery that the chemicals used to bleach the flour are harmful. The chemicals were harmful to both people and dogs.

You don’t want to use “bleached” flour as an ingredient in your treats.

Unbleached Flour

Unbleached flour has had the wheat germ and the bran removed, but it has not been treated with chemicals to bleach it.

I do use a little unbleached flour in my dog treats, because it makes the dough easier to work with. When you use whole grain flours as the only ingredients, the dough can get pretty sticky.

Unbleached flour has fewer benefits than whole wheat flour flour, but it still is much better for your dog than “white, bleached” flour.

You can still use unbleached flour and add back some of the nutrition. In order to take advantage of the benefits of wheat germ, simply substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup of wheat germ for some of the flour.