Sorghum, a cereal well known for its use in animal feed, brings many benefits to human food, since it is a raw material very rich in nutrients. It is also used in the manufacture of breads and cookies.
This cereal, very similar to corn, has gained more and more space among those seeking a healthier and more balanced diet.
Find out more about this cereal rich in nutrients and antioxidants below. In this way, it also brings a series of benefits to human health.
Also check out: benefits of planting grain sorghum.
Origin and purpose of sorghum
Sorghum is a cereal that originates in Africa. It is basically used in animal feed, mainly in South American countries, in addition to the United States and Australia.
Despite being a very old culture, it was only from the end of the last century that this cereal had a great development in many agricultural regions of the world.
In countries of Central America, Asia and Africa, the grains of this cereal have also been used in human food, mainly in the production of flour and industrial starch, necessary in the manufacture of bread and biscuits.
In African and Asian countries, sorghum is mainly used for food purposes. In fact, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the consumption of this cereal by the African population reaches almost 75% of the total grain produced on the continent.
The nutritional properties of sorghum and its benefits
The fifth most produced cereal in the world, sorghum grains have high levels of iron, zinc, protein, fiber and vitamin E. Therefore, it brings many benefits to our health.
It also contains bioactive compounds, such as phenolic acids with high antioxidant capacity, as well as antimicrobial properties.
A well-known cereal in animal feed, sorghum can become a rich raw material in the manufacture of food products for humans and brings health benefits.
In addition, it has a nutritional value similar to that of corn: 100g of sorghum contains an average of 356 kcal, most of which consists of carbohydrates (71 to 76%), followed by protein and to a lesser extent by lipids.
The benefits of consuming this cereal
Considered a functional food, due to its nutrients and the benefits it provides to those who consume it, sorghum is gluten-free and has a milder flavor.
This makes this cereal an interesting alternative to wheat. For example, in the production of “gluten free” foods, benefiting those who have some degree of intolerance to this protein.
Sorghum can be used in grains or in the form of flour, turning into delicious recipes.
Sorghum is also capable of promoting greater satiety than similar grains. Because it is rich in carbohydrates and fiber, its glycemic index is lower than other cereals such as wheat and rice. Thus, it becomes an ally of those who do not want to gain weight.
Among the benefits of sorghum, disease prevention
The nutritional properties make this cereal an excellent factor in the prevention of several diseases, including chronic ones. This is the case, for example, with obesity and diabetes, as well as heart disease and cancer.
This is what, for example, a survey carried out by Unicamp, in partnership with Embrapa in Sete Lagoas (MG) and Texas A&M University, in the United States, found.
The results of this research demonstrated that the cereal produced other benefits such as improvement in biomarkers related to oxidative stress, in addition to reducing fasting glucose, improving glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Sorghum was also able to reduce the expression of proteins related to inflammatory processes in colon cancer.
Studies indicate that the consumption of sorghum can bring several benefits to our health.
“We can conclude that sorghum bran can decrease the inflammatory process and can increase the death of cancer cells. These results provide an important starting point to better understand the molecular mechanisms through which bioactive compounds found in sorghum may reduce colon cancer risk.”, said researcher Érica Aguiar Moraes.
She is the author of the thesisWhole sorghum flour and its fractions: effects on obesity and comorbidities”, from the Faculty of Food Engineering (FEA), which deals precisely with the benefits of this cereal in human nutrition.
Sorghum also helps to fight aging and improves the microbial flora of the intestine. Therefore, if you are still thinking about how to include this cereal in your diet, check out other benefits in video:
Source: Minha Saúde – Natural Cures.
Conclusion
Thus, due to its rich nutritional properties and health benefits, sorghum has been called cereal of the future.
Speaking of cereal, our suggestion is the article about planting oats, including the advantages of using them in cattle feed.
