What is sorghum? How useful is this product?

Sorghum is a unique plant, the history of which is estimated several thousand years. In India, China and Africa it was used to make flour, from which later baked cakes. Despite the fact that over time sorghum began to take its positions, annually in the world about 70 million tons of this cereal are harvested. After reading this article, you will learn what sorghum is.

Where is this culture grown?

This plant has another name. In some countries it is known as the Sudan grass. His homeland can be considered the north-eastern part of Africa. Cultivate this culture began in the VI century BC. In ancient times, it was widely distributed throughout the African continent. Its inhabitants and to this day use this cereal for food. For those who do not know what sorghum is, it will certainly be interesting that in Europe it was cultivated only in the 15th century, and it was brought to America two centuries later. In Ethiopia and Sudan, and now cultivate a large number of varieties of this plant.

Sorghum: description

This heat-loving plant can be not only one-, but also a perennial. Outwardly, it looks very much like ordinary corn. The height of a thick, solid, erect, well-limed stalk, filled with spongy tissue, often reaches three meters. This culture has an excellent developed fruiting root system. It penetrates deep into the soil and diverges in different directions from a distance of 60 centimeters to one and a half meters. Those who are interested in what sorghum is, it does not hurt to find out that the inflorescence of this plant is called a whisk, and the fruit is a seed. The grass itself has a different color. Its grain can be either white or black.

This drought-resistant plant is cultivated in regions with a hot climate. In this case, its yield is about 20 quintals per hectare. On the grain grow a short variety.

Popular varieties of sorghum

Modern scientists know more than sixty cultured and wild species of this cereal. The overwhelming majority of them grow in the southwestern part of Asia, Australia, Africa, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia and Europe. The most popular are such varieties as:

• Grain sorghum photo of which will be presented in this article. Visually it is very similar to millet. The seeds of this plant have a light yellow or black-brown color. They are mainly used for industrial production of cereals, starch, flour and alcohol. Bread and various confectionery products are baked from the ground grain.
• Sugar sorghum, the stems of which are widely used in industrial production for the manufacture of molasses and sweet syrups.
• Herbaceous sorghum, characterized by a soft core, due to which it is used as fodder for agricultural livestock.
• Technical sorghum, valued because of straw, used for the production of wickerwork, paper and even home brooms.
• Lemon sorghum, effectively used as a seasoning for all kinds of dishes from meat, fish and vegetables. It perfectly combines with ginger and hot pepper. Plus, everything else from it produces essential oil, successfully used in the food, perfume and pharmaceutical industries.

Energy value and composition of sorghum

One hundred grams of this cereal contains about 68 grams of carbohydrates. Also in its composition are ash, fiber, water, fats and proteins. Those who have already understood what sorghum is, it will be useful to learn that its energy value is 340 kilocalories.

It contains quite a lot of riboflavin, biotin, thiamine, niacin, folic and ascorbic acids. Also, the plant is rich in various micro- and macroelements, including zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, manganese and selenium. In its composition there are also such substances as molybdenum, iron and copper.

How useful is this plant?

Due to the high content of proteins and carbohydrates, sorghum is considered a very nutritious cereal. The presence of thiamine in it helps to improve appetite and normalize gastric secretion. Regular use of sorghum allows you to adjust the work of the brain and the cardiovascular system.

The structure of this plant includes powerful antioxidants that protect the human body from the negative impact of external factors. The concentration of polyphenolic compounds present in sorghum is twelve times higher than in blueberries.

Thanks to the presence of vitamins H and PP, this cereal promotes the breakdown of fats, the acceleration of metabolism. Regular consumption of sorghum stimulates the synthesis of steroid hormones and amino acids. This product activates the processes of bone cell renewal. It is recommended to include in the diet of people who have diabetes, as it regulates the concentration of sugar in the blood and stimulates the production of hemoglobin. Sorghum is shown in disorders of the nervous system, skin diseases and gastrointestinal problems.