Study Finds Sorghum Bran Higher In Antioxidants Than Blueberries or Pomegranates
A research team at the University of Georgia has found that bran from a few varieties of commonly grown sorghum has greater antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than well-known fruits such as blueberries and pomegranates.
The study was co-authored by Diane Hartle, director of the UGA Nutraceutical Research Laboratory and associate professor in the College of Pharmacy; James Hargrove, associate professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences; and Phillip Greenspan, associate professor in the UGA College of Pharmacy. The results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food.
The team measured the degree to which extracts from various varieties of sorghum reduced inflammation in mice. They found that the black and sumac varieties were not only significantly higher in anti-inflammatory properties than other varieties, but that those more effective types of sorghum also contained substantially higher levels of polyphenolic and anti-oxidant tannin content than either blueberries or pomegranates.
According to the study, "levels of polyphenolic compounds in the high-tannin sorghum varieties ranged from 23 to 62 mg of polyphenols per gram. For comparison, blueberries contain approximately 5 mg of polyphenolics per gram, while pomegranate juice contains 2 to 3.5 mg per gram".
The U.S. is the largest grower of sorghum in the world, but the most common type grown is a lower tannin type that is primarily used for livestock feed or ethanol production. “High-tannin sorghums can be of greater economy to manufacturers because of the current cost of berry and fruit sources of similar plant-based chemicals,” said study co-author Phillip Greenspan.
The research team hopes to draw attention to the health benefits of sorghum bran extract or powder, especially given its lower price when compared to high anti-oxidant fruits. High-tannin sorghum products have just recently become available in U.S. supermarkets.
“We’re hoping that some company decides to extract this bran and pull these chemicals out and put the extract into a beverage that can help you fight disease rather than promote disease,” Hartle said.
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