I'm curious to see what info pops up, as I always add wheatgerm to my cookies, and flaxmeal to some of my breads. I never really thought about losing the nutrients to baking. Doesn't whole wheat flour contain the germ and do we 'kill' it when baking? If baking reduces the nutritional value, wouldn't that be the case for other grains, nuts, etc, that are added to our recipes? Hopefully there will be lots of posts to this thread.

Flax seed is routinely in "health breads"...I am sure that cooking destroys some of the nutrients...but certainly not all....and much the same with wheat germ.
What specifically are you talking about? I am certain that baking does not destroy the fiber in the flax seed nor wheat germ not does it destroy the poly unsaturated fats....but likely it does destroy some of the vitamin E.
But as for "cant' use it"....that's plain wrong.
Linda c

lindac, I sure don't know where I read that baking with flaxseed meal decreases its nutritional value--just something that was in my head. Hmmmm... May certainly not be true. I'm just trying to bake a little healthier since I do love to bake and didn't want to be wasting my time and $ putting flaxseed meal and wheat germ in my baked goodies if it wasn't doing any good.

High heat destroys a lot of unstable nutrients but not all of them so it's still better than not receiving any. I use flax in my baking all the time. If you want to take advantage of flax seeds you should grind the whole flax into flax meals and use it with cold foods i.e. your cereals, soup, salad, milkshakes etc. Make sure you keep the ground flax in an opaque jar because flax is very light sensitive and it will lose its nutrients rather quickly if exposed to any light. Ground flax also requires refrigeration. If stored properly ground flax stays good for about a week. Whole flax can be stored in cool, dry, dark place for a couple of months. However, our body cannot digest whole flax so in order to get the best of your flax seeds, you should grind them up for food.

Trudy, my apothecary told me that flax seed that have been heated lose the nutritional benefits I'm looking for. Cooked flax still offers fiber, but that's about all.

And Dr. Sear's site offers this warning about cooking with flax oil: "Don't use flax oil for cooking. Oils high in essential fatty acids are not good for cooking. In fact, heat can turn these healthy fats into harmful ones. Add flax oil to foods after cooking and just before serving."

Here is a link that might be useful: FABULOUS FLAX: THE RICH NUTRIENTS IN FLAX

I almost always add flaxmeal to anything I bake or use for dredging/breading, but rarely use wheat germ (processed and out of the jar/bag). The germ I use is found in freshly-milled grains.

I can't lay my hands on the file, but the profile of many nutrients increase during fermentation and baking. The specific information in the file was on yeast breads.

Now the why...

Science has confirmed flax seed has 3 main health benefits:

1. a high content of alpha-linolenic acid (an essential omega-3 fat

2. large quantities of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber

3. the highest plant source of lignans

So it's not strictly the nutritional breakdown that's important. Although it's very rich in potassium and folic acid, etc. There is also a good deal of protein in flaxmeal - similar to that of soybean; but the real health benefits are the fat and the fiber profile.

Other than a "shot" of raw flaxmeal in our morning smoothie (I mill my own so I have the freshest possible), I make sure the bulk of the flaxmeal we consume has been heat processed (baked) - because we consume a large amount of it.

Flaxseed contains a toxin called cyanogenic glycosides, a cyanide-like compound. Cooking neutralizes this compound, making it harmless. This substance is also found in lima beans, cassava (also known as manioc and tapioca), the seeds of stone fruit (peaches, plums, cherries and apricots). For the most part, people don't consume such large quantities of raw flax that it would ever be a problem (for a healthy individual).

I avoid flax oil completely. It's impossible to prevent it from oxidizing and degrading. Oxidized polyunsaturated oils = free radicales, which does more harm than good to your body. By consuming the oil only, you aren't getting all benefits from flax. Flax seed (freshly-ground) is a better source for alpha-linolenic acid, because for the most part, it remains fresh in the seed until the seed coat is broken.

Wheat germ:

Once the bran on wheat is broken in the milling process, the germ oil is exposed to oxygen and the oil quickly goes rancid. You'll notice most of the wheat germ sold has been heat processed (toasted), rarely do you find raw wheat germ. Raw wheat germ has to be frozen or refrigerated to help slow down the oils degrading. By-the-way, rancid oils don't have to smell rancid to be rancid. If they have gotten to that point (smelling rancid) they have been oxidized for a long time.

This is why I take the extra step to mill my own flour. Using freshly-milled flour is the only way to prevent the germ oil from going rancid and prevent the 25 vitamins, minerals, and proteins from degrading. Once milled, studies have shown that vitamin loss begins as quickly as 3 hours after milling.

It's also important to remember we get our nutrition and fiber from a large number of sources throughout the day.

-Grainlady

Thanks you all for the info...I've been adding this stuff to my baked goods for so long it's habit and I couldn't remember the 'whys and wherefores'. I keep flax seed and raw wheatgerm(I have no problem finding it)in the fridge. I grind the flax seed a small amount at a time and use it up in a week or so, using it in baked goods or sprinkling it on cereal and such. I also like to top ice cream with wheatgerm(weird I know).