Wheat Germ vs. Flaxseeds
Nutrition comparison of Wheat Germ and Flaxseeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
wheat germ
versus
flaxseeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat germ and flaxseeds:
- Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium.
- Wheat germ has 55% less saturated fat than flaxseed.
- Wheat germ has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in calories. Flaxseed has 48% more calories than wheat germ - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and flaxseed has 534 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, wheat germ is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to flaxseeds per calorie. Wheat germ has a macronutrient ratio of 24:54:23 and for flaxseeds, 13:21:66 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Wheat Germ | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 54% | 21% |
| Fat | 23% | 66% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and flaxseed has 44% less carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and flaxseed has 28.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in dietary fiber. Flaxseed has 107% more dietary fiber than wheat germ - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Wheat germ has less sugar than flaxseed - flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in protein. Wheat germ has 27% more protein than flaxseed - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and flaxseed has 18.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Wheat germ has 55% less saturated fat than flaxseed - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Flaxseeds and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Flaxseeds and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Flaxseeds and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat germ has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both wheat germ and flaxseeds contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Wheat Germ | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 1.882 MG | 1.644 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.499 MG | 0.161 MG |
| Niacin | 6.813 MG | 3.08 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.257 MG | 0.985 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 MG | 0.473 MG |
| Folate | 281 UG | 87 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 554% more calcium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.
iron
Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in iron. Wheat germ has a little more iron (9%) than flaxseed by weight - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in potassium. Wheat germ has a little more potassium (10%) than flaxseed by weight - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than wheat germ per 100 grams.
| Wheat Germ | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.723 G | 22.813 G |
| Total | 0.723 G | 22.813 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both wheat germ and flaxseeds contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Wheat Germ | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 5.287 G | 5.903 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.007 G |
| Total | 5.287 G | 5.91 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) .
Wheat Germ g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Flaxseeds g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does wheat germ or flaxseeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in calories. Flaxseed has 50% more calories than wheat germ - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and flaxseed has 534 calories.
Does wheat germ or flaxseeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and flaxseed has 40% fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and flaxseed has 28.9g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat germ or flaxseeds contain more calcium?
Flaxseed is a rich source of calcium and it has 550% more calcium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.
Does wheat germ or flaxseeds contain more iron?
Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in iron. Wheat germ has a little more iron ( 10%) than flaxseed by weight - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or flaxseeds contain more potassium?
Both wheat germ and flaxseeds are high in potassium. Wheat germ has a little more potassium ( 10%) than flaxseed by weight - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg of potassium.