You may have heard the expression knowledge is power.

Well, today we're going to give you more power to control your diet and lifestyle by giving you the facts.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts Podcast.

I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

Today on the show, a little known grain with a lot of personality.

Sorghum.

How does sorghum compare with other grains in terms of protein, antioxidants, and micronutrients?

Well, let's find out.

Sorghum is the forgotten grain.

The United States is actually the number one producer of sorghum, but it's typically not used to produce food for American consumers.

Instead, it's produced mainly for feeding livestock, or as pet food, or even building materials.

But it's actually eaten as a staple in other parts of the world, such as Asia and Africa, where it's been eaten for thousands of years,

making it currently the fifth most popular grain grown after wheat corn rice and barley beating out oats and rye.

Because sorghum is gluten-free, because it can be definitively considered safe for people with celiac disease,

we're starting to see it emerge as actual human food in the U.S., so I decided to look into just how healthy it might be.

Protein Mice, it's comparable to other grains, but since when do we have to worry about getting enough protein?

Fiber is what Americans are desperately deficient in, and sorghum does pull towards the front of the pack.

The micronutrient compositions, relatively unremarkable, here's how it rates on minerals, for example.

Where sorghum shines is on polyphenol content.

Polyphenols are plant compounds associated with reduced risk of a number of chronic diseases, including cancer.

Cardiovascular disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, and even all cause mortality.

If you compare different grains, sorghum really does pull ahead, helping to explain why it's antioxidant power is so much higher.

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