Wheat Germ vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Wheat Germ and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
wheat germ
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat germ and spirulina:
- Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Spirulina has more riboflavin, however, wheat germ contains more Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than wheat germ.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than wheat germ.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in calories. Wheat germ has 24% more calories than spirulina - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, wheat germ is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Wheat germ has a macronutrient ratio of 24:54:23 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Wheat Germ | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 54% | 24% |
| Fat | 23% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and spirulina has 54% less carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Wheat germ has 267% more dietary fiber than spirulina - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Wheat germ has less sugar than spirulina - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 148% more protein than wheat germ - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Wheat germ and spirulina contain similar amounts of saturated fat - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than wheat germ - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has more Vitamin A than wheat germ - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than wheat germ - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has more Vitamin K than wheat germ - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more riboflavin, however, wheat germ contains more Vitamin B6 and folate. Both wheat germ and spirulina contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Wheat Germ | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 1.882 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.499 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 6.813 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.257 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 281 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 208% more calcium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 355% more iron than wheat germ - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 53% more potassium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both wheat germ and spirulina contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Wheat Germ | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.723 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.723 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than spirulina per 100 grams.
| Wheat Germ | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 5.287 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 5.287 G | 1.254 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 Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .
Wheat Germ g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in calories. Wheat germ has 20% more calories than spirulina - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is wheat germ or spirulina better for protein?
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 150% more protein than wheat germ - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does wheat germ or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and spirulina has 50% fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat germ or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 210% more calcium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does wheat germ or spirulina contain more iron?
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 360% more iron than wheat germ - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both wheat germ and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 50% more potassium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.