THE GUT MICROBIOTA, EPITHELIAL CELLS AND IMMUNE CELLS ARE VITAL IN MAINTAINING GUT HEALTH AND LIMITING GUT PERMEABILITY, THEREBY, PREVENTING THE ONSET OF SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, A FACTOR LINKED TO OBESITY AND ITS CO-MORBIDITIES. PRODUCTS CAPABLE OF PREVENTING GUT DYSBIOSIS AND PROMOTING A HEALTHY GUT CAN HAVE BENEFICIAL SYSTEMIC OUTCOMES AND REDUCE THE HEALTH BURDEN OF OBESITY. IT IS WELL ESTABLISHED THAT FIBER ACTS AS A PREBIOTIC AND IS IMPORTANT IN MAINTAINING GUT HEALTH. HOWEVER, STUDIES EXAMINING WHOLE FOODS WITH MANY OTHER BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS AS WELL AS FIBER ARE LIMITED, ESPECIALLY IN HUMANS. ONE SUCH PRODUCT IS WHEAT GERM (WG), A BY-PRODUCT OF WHEAT PROCESSING AND AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, VITAMIN E, AND FIBER. A FEW STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF WG INCLUDING GUT MODULATORY POTENTIAL, BUT THE PREBIOTIC FUNCTIONS OF WG IN HUMANS REMAIN IN QUESTION AND WARRANT FURTHER INVESTIGATION.