Superfood Spotlight: Sorghum
by Alexandra Mamalider on Apr 22, 2018
We’re obsessing over our new Probiotic Sorghum Cereals, and for good reason! Most cereals on the market right now are not only LACED with simple, refined and hidden sugars, but also contain gluten. Although gluten allergies are not as common as one would assume, gluten intolerances are actually quite prevalent and in general, wheat can be hard on the digestive tract. One of the biggest reasons why we decided to use Sorghum as the base for our new organic superfood cereals is because it is 100% gluten-free! Most people aren’t even sure what Sorghum is, so we’ve put together a Superfood Spotlight so that you could learn all about your newest, and soon to be favourite, ancient grain!
NAME: Sorghum bicolor
AKA: Great millet, durra, jowari, milo or Sorghum!
ORGANIC REMEDY: Antioxidant, detoxification, digestion, metabolism
PLANT FAMILY: Grass species, cultivated for its grain
NATIVE TO: Africa, however now cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions and used in many countries all over the world
TYPE: Grain, from grass
SIMILAR TO: Rice and wheat
APPEARANCE:
- Grows in clumps
- May grow up to 4m high
- Grains range from 2mm to 4mm
- Large root-to-leaf surface area
UNIQUE PLANT QUALITIES:
- The world’s 5th most important crop
- One of the most drought-resistant crops
- Grows in a wide range of temperatures
- Can be grown in high altitudes and toxic soils
- In times of drought, the plant goes dormant rather than dying
- Its’ roots decompose into an excellent fertilizer
NUTRITION:
- 100% Gluten free
- High in fibre
- Relatively high in protein
- Rich in magnesium and copper
- A good source of iron, niacin and vitamin B-3
BENEFITS:
- Promotes digestive health
- Fights cardiovascular disease
- Promotes heart health
- Aids in blood sugar control
- Helps support your metabolism
HISTORICAL USES OF SORGHUM:
- Flat breads made from sorghum grain in many parts of Asia and Africa
- Popped grains similar to popcorn
- Its high protein levels have enabled populations to subsist on it during times of famine
- Fibers used in making traditional corn brooms
- Decorative purposes
- Syrups derived from sweet sorghum
- Fermented and distilled to produce clea spirits and wines
- Ground into flour as an alternative to wheat in China
- A staple in India, used to make bread
- Biofuel production
- Cooked with rice to make cakes in Korea
- Tortilla making in Central America
- Traditional beer making in several countries in Africa
- Livestock feed in Australia, South America and the United States
SUPPLEMENT FORMS: Flaked, puffed, milled, flour, syrup, spirit
WHY SORGHUM?
We decided to use Sorghum as the base for our probiotic cereal blends because of their nutritional profile. These ancient grains are nutrient dense while also being suitable for people with wheat/ gluten allergies and sensitivities. The benefits that sorghum also contributes to our digestive health is one of the main reasons that we decided to incorporate it into our superfood cereals. One serving of our cereal provides you with 25% of the daily recommended intake of dietary fibre! Sorghum is also rich in vitamins and minerals such as copper, iron, vitamin B3, magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin and potassium!
OUR CEREALS:
At Organic Traditions we have created three unique flavours of our superfood cereals: Chocolate Coconut Crunch, Tropical Lucuma Baobab and Triple Berry Blend!
Each flavour contains organic crisped sorghum flakes as the base PLUS 1 billion Bacillus Coagulans Probiotics (which if you’re unfamiliar with, you can learn more about here) per serving. All three flavours also contain a mixture of organic whole chia, milled chia, milled flax and hemp seeds combined with a unique blend of organic fruits, powders and even adaptogens. We also decided to enhance our cereals with organic acacia gum, to give you an even bigger boost of fibre!
Now, you might be wondering about the sugar content of our cereals. Cereals in general, “healthy” or not, are notorious for their simple, refined and hidden sugar content (because that’s what makes them so addictive!) Each serving of our organic superfood cereal (½ C, 40g) only contains between 4-6 grams of sugar! Up to 3 grams of which is added using our organic coconut sugar.
Our goal in creating these superfood cereals was to provide you with not only a well rounded serving of macronutrients but also a rich array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants!
