Published on
Updated
Reading 2 min.
in collaboration with
Alexandra Murcier (Liberal dietician-nutritionist)
Do you know sorghum? This is an ancient cereal that is creating buzz on TikTok. And for good reason: it is believed to have incredible slimming properties. Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist, disentangles the truth from the falsehood about her.
On the Internet, the hashtag #sorghum is exploding. Many virtues are attributed to this ancient cereal – including boosting weight loss. Its effects against abdominal fat are also widely acclaimed. Wisely ? Answer.
What is sorghum?
Sorghum is a cereal from the Poaceae family like wheat, rice or millet. Originally from Africa, it grows very well in tropical and Mediterranean regions.
On the shelves, we find sorghum in several forms: grains, flour or syrups. The most popular format is sorghum flour, easily used in cakes, crepes and other cakes.
The health benefits of this cereal? It is said to be rich in fiber and polyphenols – these famous small molecules which help fight against the formation of free radicals. It also contains so-called essential nutrients such as iron, phosphorus, magnesium and B vitamins.
Final advantage of sorghum: it is gluten-free, making it an excellent alternative for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
A cereal popular for its slimming properties
If sorghum is so popular, it is because, according to its fans, it promotes satiety. It would also regulate intestinal transit and be low in calories.
However, “Unfortunately, there is no food that helps you lose weight or fat.“, recalls Alexandra Murcier, dietician-nutritionist.
However, it confirms that sorghum is a cereal with a low glycemic index, rich in fiber, “which will help regulate blood sugar levels and indirectly help you lose weight with an overall low GI diet. The fibers will also improve transit, which allows you to have a flatter stomach.“, she notes.
Finally, since sorghum is gluten-free – and gluten causes bloating in many people – “it will also help in this logic“.
In conclusion ? “Miracle foods do not exist, but sorghum is a good alternative to vary your cereal sources.“, underlines the nutrition expert.