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Why Is Sorghum One of My New Favorite Grains?

The AHA! Team — Mon, 12 May 2025 05:33:30 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Learn why sorghum is one of my favorite new grains. Sorghum “Despite playing a significant role in Africa and Asia as a staple grain, sorghum has only recently emerged as a potential human food source in the developed world.” And it isn’t just a principal grain in many parts of the world, but it’s “critical in folk medicine” traditions, too. What might its health benefits be? There are some in vitro data from test tubes and petri dishes, as well as in vivo data, meaning “within the living” in laboratory animals, but only in the last decade have we started seeing human trials. In one study, participants were asked to eat sorghum pancakes or corn pancakes for supper every day for three weeks. Both groups saw significant, 20 to 30 percent drops in their cholesterol, but all participants were also “requested not to consume eggs and other cholesterol-boosting foodstuff,” so that may very well have played a role. Another study used biscuits. Those eating sorghum biscuits said they felt more satiated than when they ate wheat biscuits, but that “did not translate to differences in intake at the subsequent ad-libitum [all-you-can-eat] meal.” So, does it matter that they subjectively felt more satiated if that did not cause them to eat any less? Unsurprisingly, when put to the test, those eating sorghum versus wheat biscuits didn’t lose any weight, though the data are a bit mixed. A recent study concluded that “sorghum can be an important strategy for weight loss in humans.” However, those in the sorghum group didn’t actually lose more weight. They did eat hundreds more calories a day, though, and they still lost more body fat, as you can see below and at 1:41 in my video The Health Benefits of Sorghum. This may be because of their greater fiber consumption or intake of other goodies like the resistant starch in sorghum. The vehicle the researchers used was an artificially flavored, colored, and sweetened powdered drink mixture of water, milk powder, and either sorghum or wheat flour. That may be good for a study since you can make a blinded control, but it leaves you wondering what would happen if you actually ate the whole food. The resistant starch is exciting, though. Most of the starch in sorghum is either slow-starch—that is, slowly digestible—or fully resistant to digestion in the small intestine, which offers a banquet bounty of prebiotics for our good gut flora down in our colon. Evidently, it isn’t the sorghum starch itself, but interactions with the proteins and other compounds that effectively act as starch blockers, inhibiting our starch-munching enzymes. Sorghum ends up with “the lowest starch digestibility” among grains, which is why, traditionally, it was considered to be an “inferior” grain—but inferior in the sense of not providing as many calories. (That’s a good thing in the age of epidemic obesity.) Whole-wheat vs. Sorghum Muffin When study participants were given either a whole-wheat muffin (the control) or a sorghum muffin, with both containing the same amount of starch, researchers saw significantly higher blood sugars 45 minutes to two hours after subjects ate the wheat muffin, as shown below and at 2:58 in my video. They also saw a higher insulin spike, starting almost immediately after consuming the wheat muffin, as seen below, and at 3:03. Overall, after consumption of the sorghum muffin, researchers found a 25 percent lower blood sugar response, and the participants’ bodies had to release less than half the insulin to deal with it, as seen here and at 3:11 in my video. The same type of results were found with people with diabetes. Researchers saw a lower blood sugar spike with sorghum porridge compared to grits, and the participants’ bodies could deal with it with a fraction of the insulin. So, we need to educate people on how healthy sorghum is—and, some suggest, “develop products that are…healthy, convenient to use, and tasty.” No need! Sorghum is already healthy, convenient, and tasty just the way it is. I just press a single button on my electric pressure cooker with two parts water and one part sorghum, and it’s ready in 20 minutes. You can make a big batch and use it all week just like you would rice. Of course, there isn’t big money for the food industry when people eat the intact, whole grain. Instead, the industry is looking at sorghum for its “enormous potential for exploitation” in creating “functional foods and food additives.” (Did you know that adding sorghum to pork or turkey patties can decrease their “cardboardy ﬂavor”? Why eat sorghum when you can instead use it to make gluten-free beer?) It’s funny. When I wrote in How Not to Diet about taxpayer subsidies going to the sugar, corn syrup, oil, and livestock industries to subsidize cheap animal feed to help make Dollar Menu meat, I jokingly asked, “When was the last time you sat down to some sorghum?” Now that we know how good it is for us, maybe we should be taking advantage of the quarter billion dollars the United States is spending to prop up the sorghum industry and sit down to some sorghum after all. If you missed the previous video, check out Is Sorghum a Healthy Grain? My How Not to Diet Cookbook is full of delicious and healthful grain recipes. Check it out here. “Resistant starch”? Learn more about Resistant Starch and Colon Cancer and Getting Starch to Take the Path of Most Resistance. For more on the benefits of different grains, see related posts below. Key Takeaways Sorghum, widely used as a staple in Africa and Asia, is now being studied for its health benefits, with emerging human trials on its potential for cholesterol and blood sugar regulation. Studies show that sorghum may aid in lowering cholesterol and can increase feelings of satiety. However, this satiety hasn’t consistently led to reduced food intake. Sorghum’s resistant starch content results in lower blood sugar spikes and requires less insulin after consumption compared to other grains like wheat, making it promising for blood sugar management, especially in people with diabetes. Sorghum’s unique starch composition, largely resistant to digestion, offers prebiotic benefits for gut health and may act as a natural starch blocker. Despite sorghum’s potential health benefits as a whole grain, the food industry is more focused on its use in functional foods and additives. However, the grain can be easily prepared and enjoyed whole, offering a healthy, cost-effective option for any diet. To read the original article click here.

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe

AHA Publisher — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 07:00:22 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN – Nutrition-rich zucchini is one of my favorite underrated veggies. Its mild flavor means you can add it to a variety dishes for a boost in antioxidants and vitamins without altering the taste too much. That’s what makes it the perfect ingredient for this chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe. This gluten-free treat is super simple to make and lacks any refined sugar. It’s sweet enough to enjoy as dessert, but you can easily enjoy a slice for breakfast, too. Key Ingredients There are many zucchini bread recipes out there, and this zucchini chocolate chip bread just may be the best zucchini bread I’ve had. That’s because it’s easy to make, healthy and delicious! What’s in this recipe for zucchini bread? Here are some of the main players: Zucchini: You can’t make chocolate chip zucchini bread without zucchini, of course, and that’s a good thing. Thanks to its antioxidant content, zucchini can protect the heart, gut, eyes and more. Cassava and oat flour: This gluten-free flour combo make this recipe safe for those with a gluten intolerance or Celiac disease … and provides extra vitamins and minerals to boot! Dark chocolate chips: Chocolate may not come to mind when you think health food, but dark chocolate is high in antioxidants that help boost immunity, brain health and more. Eggs: This common baking ingredient supplies a healthy does of protein and collagen, two of the most important things for health. Coconut sugar: A healthier sugar alternative, coconut sugar provides added sweetness with way less of the harmful side effects as common sugar. How to Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Start by preheating the oven to make sure it’s nice and toasty for the chocolate chip zucchini bread. Then mix the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs until they look nice and fluffy. Then add in the coconut oil, vanilla extract, zucchini and chocolate chips. Now it’s time to mix the wet and dry ingredients. How do you keep chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of zucchini bread? I like adding the contents of the dry bowl to the wet one and giving it all a good stir to ensure you’ll enjoy chocolate chips and zucchini in each bite. Once everything’s mixed up, pour this healthy zucchini bread into a greased loaf pan and pop it in the oven. Let it bake for 50 minutes or until it’s cooked through — you should be able to stick a toothpick in it and have it come out clean. I know this chocolate chip zucchini bread will be a hit at your house. It tastes so great you can consider it another healthy snack for your kids … and they won’t have any idea it’s actually good for them! Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe DESCRIPTION This chocolate chip zucchini bread is a simple to make, gluten-free and lacks any refined sugar, giving you boost in antioxidants. INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup almond meal 1 cup cassava flour 1/2 cup oat flour 1/2 cup coconut sugar 3/4 – 1 cup organic, dark chocolate chips 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup melted coconut oil 3 eggs dash of salt INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. Line a large bowl with cheesecloth, allowing cloth to fall over the sides. Grate zucchini into the bowl containing the cloth. Wrap zucchini in cloth and squeeze any excess water out into the bowl. Add the first five ingredients in large bowl. Whisk until well incorporated and set aside. Whisk the last seven ingredients until well combined and then add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing evenly. Pour mixture into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. NOTES If you don’t have coconut sugar handy, you can use other natural sweeteners like monk fruit. To make this vegan, you can use an egg replacement. To read the original article click here.

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Sweet Potatoes Increase Vitamin A, Fiber in Bread

AHA Publisher — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 07:00:18 +0000

South Dakota State University via Newswise – Incorporating sweet potato puree into bread not only adds vitamin A, but also changes the starch composition by increasing the fiber content. Altering the starch composition means a greater portion of the carbohydrates will take longer to digest, so consuming a serving of bread is less likely to cause an increase in blood sugar—that can be beneficial for diabetics, according to assistant professor Srinivas Janaswamy of South Dakota State University’s Department of Dairy and Food Science. In addition, the increased amount of fiber, known as resistant starch, can help improve gut health. Approximately 463 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation. That number is expected to reach 700 million by 2045. Results from lab-scale analyses on how the starch is absorbed and the amount of vitamin A, or beta carotene, available from bread in which 10 to 50% of the wheat flour is replaced with orange-fleshed sweet potato puree were recently published in the Institute of Food Technology’s Journal of Food Science. In summer 2018, Daniel Mbogo, then a research associate at the International Potato Center, worked with Janaswamy to formulate sweet potato-enriched breads through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Borlaug Fellowship Program and CGIAR, a global agricultural research partnership. Mbogo is now a doctoral student at Greenwich University in the United Kingdom. IPC senior food scientist Tawanda Muzhingi, also an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, contributed to the research. “We hope through the U.S. Agency for International Development to create a laboratory to promote sweet potato research among land grant institutions in the United States and in developing countries,” Muzhingi said. Janaswamy’s research was also supported by U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture funding through the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Bread containing sweet potatoes puree is already being marketed in Kenya and sweet potato-based products are also being developed in the United States, Janaswamy noted. Starch Digestibility The researchers used an established laboratory technique to understand how starch digests, determining the percentages of rapidly digestible starch, slowly digestible starch and resistant starch absorbed over time. Differences in starch absorption between traditional and sweet potato-enriched bread occurred between one and two hours of digestion. In traditional bread, 75% of the starch is rapidly digested, while only 50% is rapidly digested starch when sweet potato puree replaces 50% of the wheat flour. Slowly digested starch decreases from 16.3% in traditional to 9.4% in the sweet potato bread and resistant starch increases significantly from 9% in traditional bread to 41% in sweet potato bread. The amount of starch in sweet potato bread that digests rapidly is significantly lower than that of traditional bread, Janaswamy said. This shift in starch content makes sweet potato bread a good option for diabetics, because the glucose is released more slowly. Furthermore, the sweet potato bread contains more resistant starch, which is fermented in the large intestine where it feeds the good gut bacteria. Vitamin A Availability By simulating digestion in the lab, the researchers evaluated how much beta-carotene is released from the bread matrix and is, therefore, available for the body to absorb from a 100-gram serving of sweet potato-fortified bread. When sweet potato puree replaces 50% of the flour, the bread can provide 82% of a 1- to 3-year old’s daily beta carotene requirement and 62% of a 4- to 8-year-old’s daily requirement. About 30% of children under the age of 5 in developing countries do not consume enough vitamin A, according to the World Health Organization. Furthermore, a serving of 50% sweet potato bread can provide 33% of a pregnant or lactating woman’s daily beta carotene requirement. “By consuming three servings of bread, a woman can get 100% of her vitamin A requirement,” Janaswamy said. Vitamin A helps develop the baby’s heart, eyes and immune system. Urbanization has changed eating habits in Kenya, Mbogo explained. Families once grew the sweet potatoes they consumed. Now, processed foods account for a larger share of their diet. Incorporating the nutrients into the bread they purchase from the store can help prevent vitamin A deficiency. The Kenya Bureau of Standards recently published standards for sweet potato puree and breads, which acknowledges their commercial value and health benefits. In future work, Janaswamy hopes to look at varying the sweet potato bread’s fat content. “Adding fat not only helps the taste profile, but solubilizes the beta-carotene which should result in improved absorption.” To read the original article click here.

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Why Is Sourdough Bread Good for You? Benefits + How to Make Your Own

AHA Publisher — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 07:00:11 +0000

Jillian Levy, CHHC via Dr. Axe – With sourdough bread perhaps more popular than it’s been in quite some time, do you ever wonder: Why is sourdough bread good for you? It helps to take a look at old-school bread vs. what we’ve become accustomed to buying at the store. For centuries, bread was made with only three ingredients: flour, water and salt. Today, commercially made breads that you’d find in the grocery store can contain a dozen or more ingredients. It’s not surprising then that a high percentage of people report having difficulty digesting modern-day bread. The original way to make bread was to slowly ferment flour with water in order to create a “starter,” an alternative to baker’s yeast that makes bread naturally rise and gives sourdough bread its signature taste. Not only does sourdough bread stand out in terms of its flavor, but it’s also thought to have some nutritional advantages too. Why is sourdough bread good for you? Read on to find out why grain fermentation results in a product that is easier to digest, plus how sourdough bread can provide you with more absorbable nutrients, such as selenium, B vitamins, folateand others. What Is Sourdough Bread? Sourdough bread is bread made via the fermentation of dough. Fermentation is defined as “the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence.” Compared to nearly every other bread, what is different about sourdough bread? Real sourdough is made with a fermented sourdough starter, rather than with yeast. It also has a lower gluten content, lower antinutrient content and lower pH than regular bread. Sourdough is also often described as having more flavor and complexity and a better texture than yeasted breads. When flour and water are left at room temperature for at least several days, naturally occurring bacteria (such as lactobacilli) and yeast begin to ferment the dough and produce lactic acid. Lactic acid is responsible for giving the bread its slightly sour but pleasant taste. Flour naturally contains a variety of yeasts and bacterial spores. When combined with water at room temperature (somewhere between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit), bacteria break down the starch found in wheat into sugars (glucose and maltose), which yeast then metabolize. Maltose is one byproduct of the bacterial fermentation that yeast thrive off, and in the process they produce carbon dioxide gas, leavening the dough. It’s thought that some of the oldest sourdough breads date back to at least 3700 BCE in the Fertile Crescent region, although historians are not exactly sure when people first began fermenting grains. The “Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology” points out that “Bread production relied on the use of sourdough as a leavening agent for most of human history; the use of baker’s yeast as a leavening agent dates back less than 150 years.” Is sourdough the same as Ezekiel bread? No, although the two have a number of things in common. Ezekiel bread is a sprouted grain bread that is made with whole grains and usually no yeast. Sprouting grains helps diminish levels of enzyme inhibitors and releases nutrients to more easily be absorbed, much like fermenting does. However, sourdough bread takes longer to make and usually isn’t made with sprouted flour. Overall the two are comparable in terms of nutrient content. Nutrition Facts (Plus Ingredients) Why is sourdough bread good for you? A lot of it comes from sourdough bread nutrition. The exact nutrition content of sourdough depends on the exact ingredients used (different types of flours/added grains/oil) and how it’s prepared. Generally, however, it contains a decent amount of: calories carbohydrates protein fat fiber selenium folate thiamine manganese niacin iron While wheat flour, water and salt are all you need to make sourdough, sometimes other ingredients are added, including: wheat bran hard red wheat oats rye barley spelt triticale flaxseeds apple cider vinegar olive oil garlic honey herbs, such as rosemary As you can probably tell by now, what really makes this bread unique is the presence of yeast and bacteria species, which also vary depending on how the bread starter is made. The most common yeast species found in sourdough include: Kazachstania exigua (Saccharomyces exiguous) Saccharomyces cerevisiae Candida milleri Candida humilis Lactic acid bacterial strains found in this type of bread can include: Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis L. pontis L. fermentum L. fructivorans L. brevis L. paralimentarius Why Is Sourdough Bread Good for You? Research tells us that due to how its unique preparation method, the following are some sourdough bread benefits: 1. May Be Easier to Digest Due to Less Gluten/Antinutrients There’s reason to believe that among people with gluten sensitivity (but not celiac disease), sourdough bread may be more digestible than commercial loaves made with processed wheat flour. The fermentation process increases acidic conditions in sourdough and helps produce enzymes that partially break down proteins, including gluten. This leads to a lower overall gluten content and decreased levels of phytates/phytic acid and other “antinutrients” that can interfere with nutrient absorption and digestion. 2. Lower Glycemic Index Studies have found that whole grain sourdough breads have a somewhat lower glycemic index score compared with other types of bread, especially highly processed breads made with white flour. Whole grain sourdoughs that are made with whole wheat flour, rye and other grains are recommended for those following a Mediterranean diet, due to their supply of filling dietary fiber. Is sourdough bread good for weight loss? Of course it depends how much you eat of it, but it can be if it helps to fill you up and is eaten as part of a balanced diet. In fact, some studies have found that sourdough tends to lead to higher satiety (fullness) compared to other breads, perhaps because of its protein and carbohydrate digestibility and absorption. 3. Can Be a Good Source of Fiber, Nutrients and Protein Whole grain sourdough is considered a high-fiber food and also a good source of essential nutrients like selenium, folate, thiamine, manganese, niacin and iron. While it can be difficult to absorb some of these nutrients from grains that haven’t been soaked, sprouted or fermented, studies suggest they are typically easier to absorb from sourdough due to the way that it’s prepared, as are the amino acids in sourdough which form proteins. Acquiring more of these essential nutrients from your diet is important for supporting functions such as red blood cell production, energy metabolism, immune system activation and more. How to Make Your Own While it may be faster and easier to make bread using commercial yeast, the old-school way of making sourdough has recently seen a revival among artisan bakers. How do you make sourdough bread from scratch? First you need to either make or find a sourdough starter. Recall that sourdough bread recipes do not use yeast, so a starter (or leavening agent) is essential for helping your bread rise and for providing some of its nutritional benefits. A starter is also sometimes called a pre-ferment, and it’s made simply by combining flour and water. When left to ferment, it forms into a colony of microorganisms, including wild yeast and lactobacilli. This process usually takes between five to 10 days, depending on the method, temperature and how sour you want the bread to be once cooked. To keep your starter “alive” and active, you need to refresh it by adding more flour and water throughout the process. Once the starter is stable you can keep it in your refrigerator and periodically feed it, about one to two times per week. What’s the best sourdough bread in the world? This is definitely up for debate, as there are dozens of different ways to make sourdough bread — depending on the equipment you have, amount of time you want to invest and how picky you are about the finished product. One key difference between sourdough recipes is whether or not you knead the bread. Another thing to consider is the schedule you adhere to in order to allow the bread the rise. Here’s the basic process involved in making your own sourdough bread from scratch: You want your starter to be bubbly and active before making bread, so it should be fed four to 12 hours prior to mixing it with flour and water. Combine your ingredients thoroughly, and then let the dough sit so it grows in size. You may need to knead or shape your dough one to three more times before it’s ready (although no-knead options are also available). Then the dough is formed into a loaf and baked for about an hour. For home bakers, baking in a dutch oven is often recommended, usually with the lid on for a period of time to help steam the bread, then the lid off to crisp it. If you’re a beginner, a simple way to make sourdough from scratch is to choose a mostly no-knead bread recipe and allow it to “bulk rise” overnight. This means that you prepare the ingredients at night, and then the bread rises while you’re sleeping so it’s ready to be baked when you wake up. If an overnight rise and not much kneading sound appealing to you, try this sourdough bread recipe: Combine the flours you are using, such as whole wheat and regular bread flour, with salt. Use about 520 grams of flour and a teaspoon of salt. It’s recommended that you weigh your ingredients for the best results, however 520 grams of flour is roughly equivalent to 4 cups. Mix 90 grams of your starter (a bit more than 1/2 cup) with 385 grams water (about 2.25 cups). Then pour the wet ingredients into your bowl with the flour and combine with your hands or a spoon to fully incorporate. Let the dough rest 15 minutes. Then stretch it in the bowl a bit. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen bowel and let it rest on the kitchen counter overnight for 9–12 hours ( at 65–70 degrees F). After it rests, in the morning, stretch, fold and shape the dough. Let it sit for one more hour and preheat the oven to 450. Either line your dutch oven with parchment paper or sprinkle some cornmeal on the bottom to prevent sticking. (Do not use oil or butter.) Place your loaf in the dutch oven, then “score” the loaf by cutting a big slit on the top that is about one-inch deep and several inches long. Keep the lid on for the first 20 minutes, then take the lid off and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the bread to cool for an hour, then dig in! Other Recipes Looking for other recipes, such as cinnamon raisin sourdough, herbed sourdough or one for making sourdough bread without a dutch oven? Here are some creative ways to make other types of sourdough: “Extra Tangy” King Arthur Sourdough Bread 3 Ways to Make Amazing Sourdough Bread WITHOUT a Dutch Oven (You can use a baking stone in your oven, an even hotter temperature, or water in a roasting pan to help with steam and crispness.) Fifty-Fifty Whole Wheat Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sourdough Bread Whole Wheat Sourdough Tortillas Overnight Sourdough Pancakes What can you make with your sourdough once it’s done? Give some of these healthy recipes a try: Sourdough French Toast Healthy Stuffing Recipe Sourdough Crackers with Olive Oil and Herbs Risks and Side Effects We’ve answered the question of why is sourdough bread good for you. What about the downsides? Be cautious about buying sourdough bread from ordinary grocery stores. While supermarkets may advertise bread as “sourdough,” it’s probably “ordinary bread to which as dash of dried powdered sourdough starter has been added,” according to a report written by The Guardian. Your best option in terms of buying real sourdough is checking out small artisanal bakeries, farmers markets and health food stores. Even though sourdough can be a healthy addition to your diet, it can still be a relatively calorie-dense food. Therefore...

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