Sorghum grain and adiponectin levels in prediabetic adults over one week
What it found
Eating sorghum instead of white rice for seven days did not raise adiponectin levels in 26 prediabetic adults.
Levels actually fell slightly in both the sorghum and white rice groups.
What they found
Studies in people
Adiponectin levels dropped overall
After seven days, adiponectin levels fell from the starting point in both groups. This happened across all body weight categories. The drop was only statistically clear in the overweight group eating white rice.
No difference between grains
The fall in adiponectin was slightly larger in the white rice group than in the sorghum group. However, this difference was too small to rule out chance.
Most participants had metabolic issues
More than three-quarters of the participants had dyslipidemia, meaning unusual blood fat levels. Most also had central obesity and signs of insulin resistance at the start of the study.
Animal and lab studies
Earlier animal results differed
A past study in mice fed a high-fat diet found that sorghum extract raised adiponectin in fat tissue after six weeks. That work used concentrated extract rather than whole grain.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that eating sorghum grain for one week was not enough to raise adiponectin levels in people with prediabetes.
- They suggest that insulin resistance, central obesity, and unusual blood fats may have blocked any helpful effect of the grain.
- They advise that longer periods of eating sorghum or additional dietary changes might be needed to raise adiponectin in people with these conditions.
How it was done
Adiponectin is a hormone made by fat tissue that helps protect against insulin resistance. People with prediabetes tend to have lower levels, so the researchers wanted to see if eating sorghum could raise them.
The researchers assigned 26 prediabetic adults to two groups of 13. One group swapped their usual white rice for sorghum grain three times a day for seven days. The other group kept eating white rice. Blood levels of adiponectin were measured before and after the week.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial lasted only seven days, so it cannot show what happens when people eat sorghum for months or years.
- The participants prepared their own meals at home, making it hard to be certain exactly how much they ate.
- Because most participants already had several metabolic problems, the results may not apply to healthier people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
The paper
- Title
- One-week sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.) grain consumption is insufficient to increase adiponectin levels in prediabetic adults
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Mudjanarko SW, Rahardjo T, Soelistijo SA, Rahmawati S (2023). One-week sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.) grain consumption is insufficient to increase adiponectin levels in prediabetic adults. Endocrine regulations. doi:10.2478/enr-2024-0002Free full textPubMed 38345494DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error