USE OF WHEAT-OIL

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1931, Page 6

USE OF WHEAT-OIL

INTEREST IN EXPERIMENTS

VALUABLE VITAMINS

•RESULTS OF TREATMENT,

Oil extracted from tile germ of wheat was reported last week to have been used experimentally with promising results by a '.Christchurch doctor in dealing with cases of general debility. T'ne same oi'l/ w-hich was first extracted at the Wheat. Research Institute, Christchurch, more than a year ago for the experimental use of the Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture, lias been used in Wellington also during the last l'ew months in the • reatment of sterility among women. So far as tan be, le .rued, the oil lias not cured sterility in the cases on which it has been tried, although there appears to be a marked general improvement in health since the doses of wheat oil began. The use of the oil in dealing with sterility depends upon the fact that it is especially rich in vitamins B and £, and contains also some vitamin A. The vitamin K, sometimes referred to as the anti-sterility vitamin, is the reason for its use, and it was shown in 1922 that wheat oil was the best . available source 01 this particular substance. The oil which has been used in New. Zealand was [’* pared from Canterbury wheat by solvent extraction, and subsequent removal of the solvent by. vacuum distillation leaving behind an oil of pale, golden colour. Wheat germ constitutes only about one-sixtiem part of the entire wheat kernel, and was found in 1916 to be especially valuable in certain respects. It has abundant proteins, of good quality, and contains the vitamins already mentioned. About 10 per cent, of the germ is oil, rich in vitamin E.

Wheat germ or wheat oil has been fed I co animals in many parts of the world, principally in Canada and the United States. Its use to combat st r-s ility is illustrated by experiments which were carried out with certain 'types of fox. which are bred for their fur. In captivity the foxes were inclined to become less fertile. Feeding them wheat orerm or wheat oil made them produce larger litters, and improved their general health to a considerable extent.

NO POSITIVE RESULTS. The Christchurch doctor was interested in the experiments on animals, and prescribed the oil in three cases for persons who were suffering from general debility from various causes. From his subsequent observations of the patients he foimed the definite opinion that the oil would accomplish for human beings what it has done for animal's. In Wellington, however, in the treatment of Sterility i't has not yet shown positive results. Only small quantities, however, are understood to have been so far available.

Precisely the same vitamin is present in, bread or other foods manufactured from real whole wheat, bu.'t wheat oil enables much greater quantities of the vitamin to be taken. In general, seeds nnd green leaves from plants are good sources of vitamin E. The Vitamin is present in corn, oa'ts, and, of course, to an even greater extent in wheat. It also seems to be a remarkably stable sort of compound, and one that wifi resist heat, light, air and most of the ordinary chemical reactions. INFORMATION DESIRED.

Wheat oil was found to be particularly valuable for nursing mothers, for that part of the body which dealt with lactation was easily injured, and accordingly the raw wheat germ supplied any deficiencies from this cause. The Christchurch doctor hopes to get The whole of the profession interested in the wheat germ question so that some definite information of the success of its use might be obtained. The germ was quite satisfactory for the .treatment of general debility, but it could not be claimed as a new discovery.