Sorghum

Sorghum is one of the most ancient human foods. Endemic to Africa, it was likely one of the very first foraged and cultivated cereal crops. Sorghum is not at all popular in Western societies, to their detriment, as sorghum has many healthful properties which can be used to restrain metabolic illness and promote health and wellness. It’s also fucking delicious. Studies have shown that sorghum oligosaccharides and polyphenols strongly promote healthy communities of commensal gut microbes, especially Bifidobacteria, but also more interestingly other types like Prevotella. Prevotella are some of the most prolific producers of B vitamins—where other species are somewhat limited in the variety of B vitamins produced, prevotella tend to produce nearly the full range of all B vitamins. They also produce significant quantities of all the short chain fatty acids. For this reason, sorghum can help promote dramatic improvement not only to gut health but also weight loss, sleep, and other conditions directly affected by the gut microbiome. Sorghum has long been known to raise Testosterone in men (which is noticeable in just two days of consuming sorghum) as it also inhibits aromatase, though this effect is probably also assisted by the production of B vitamins and short chain fatty acids. If you haven’t eaten it before, you can expect some changes in your bowel functions the first few days as your populations of gut microbes adjust to accommodate it, but afterward is not a problem. Sorghum makes a great hot breakfast. It does take a long time to cook, so I prefer to make a larger batch at night, then warm it up the next couple of mornings for breakfast. This amount makes enough for one person for several mornings, so you can increase the amounts accordingly to feed more people. Sorghum can also be used in savory dishes the way you’d use rice or other such grains. One warning is that crops like sorghum are often harvested using toxic agrochemicals like glyphosate, which desiccates the plant and makes it easier to process, so these kinds of foods should always absolutely be organic.

SORGHUM HOT CEREAL

2 cups organic sorghum
4 cups water
Milk or cream
Unrefined Sugar and other toppings

In a large sauce pot add sorghum and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 45-60 minutes until all the water is absorbed. If the kernels don’t looked puffed and done, add more water to prevent burning. If left unattended, the potential for burning is high, so pay attention especially as it nears the end. Serve with unrefined sugar and milk or cream or fruit and toppings of your choosing. Muscovado or dark brown sugar is especially delicious, as is maple syrup, berries, almonds, etc.