{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T13:00:06Z","timestamp":1781182806371,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781136000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Fukuoka Bioindustry R&D Initiatives"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Visceral fat accumulation is strongly associated with metabolic disorders, particularly in Japanese adults who accumulate visceral fat even at lower body mass index levels. Sorghum is a whole grain rich in resistant starch and polyphenols, which may influence visceral fat area (VFA). This exploratory study aimed to investigate the effects of 12-week sorghum consumption on VFA and metabolic parameters in Japanese adults with visceral fat accumulation. Methods: This single-arm intervention trial included adults aged 20\u201360 years with VFA \u2265 100 cm2 and no ongoing medical treatment. Participants consumed cooked sorghum (80 g\/day, dry weight) for 12 weeks. Anthropometric variables, VFA, blood pressure, and blood biomarkers were assessed before and after the intervention. Dietary intake was evaluated using a three-day food record. Pre- and post-intervention values were compared using paired t-tests. Results: Nine participants completed the study. VFA significantly decreased after 12 weeks of sorghum consumption (p = 0.02). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels showed a non-significant reduction, while other metabolic and hepatic biomarkers remained stable. No adverse changes were observed in dietary intake or physical activity. Eight of nine participants exhibited reductions in VFA. Conclusions: Daily sorghum consumption may contribute to reductions in VFA and improvements in liver-related biomarkers in Japanese adults with visceral fat accumulation. These findings provide preliminary evidence that partially replacing major carbohydrate sources with sorghum may support visceral fat management. Further confirmation in randomized controlled trials is warranted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18121884","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T12:14:58Z","timestamp":1781180098000},"page":"1884","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of 12-Week Sorghum Consumption on Visceral Fat Area and Metabolic Parameters in Japanese Adults: An Exploratory Single-Arm Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Hitomi","family":"Miyazaki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Sustainable Bioresources Science, Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Masumi","family":"Nagae","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Sustainable Bioresources Science, Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Akiko","family":"Isa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Sustainable Bioresources Science, Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuko","family":"Takano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Sustainable Bioresources Science, Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hiroshi","family":"Uchida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Best Amenity Co., Ltd., 32-3 Tagawa, Mizuma-machi, Kurume 830-0102, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kuniyoshi","family":"Shimizu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Sustainable Bioresources Science, Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"},{"name":"Kyushu University Institute of Asian and Oceanic Studies, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1139","DOI":"10.2337\/dc11-1320","article-title":"Effect of longitudinal changes in visceral fat area and other anthropometric indices on changes in metabolic risk factors in Japanese men: The Hitachi Health Study","volume":"35","author":"Matsushita","year":"2012","journal-title":"Diabetes Care"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2917","DOI":"10.1016\/j.febslet.2006.04.028","article-title":"The metabolic syndrome and adipocytokines","volume":"580","author":"Matsuzawa","year":"2006","journal-title":"FEBS Lett."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1200","DOI":"10.1016\/j.metabol.2009.03.021","article-title":"Higher liver fat content among Japanese in Japan compared with non-Hispanic whites in the United States","volume":"58","author":"Azuma","year":"2009","journal-title":"Metabolism"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"714","DOI":"10.3945\/ajcn.112.035758","article-title":"Ethnic influences on the relations between abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adiposity, liver fat, and cardiometabolic risk profile","volume":"96","author":"Nazare","year":"2012","journal-title":"Am. 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