SORGHUM IS A HEALTH-SMART ANCIENT GRAIN AND THE FIFTH MOST-GROWN CEREAL WORLDWIDE. EATING WHOLE GRAIN SORGHUM PROVIDES A SOURCE OF DIETARY FIBERS, PHENOLICS, AND PROTEINS KNOWN TO BENEFIT HEALTH AND GUT MICROBES. PRECLINICAL STUDIES ALSO SUGGEST THAT DIETS RICH IN WHOLE GRAIN SORGHUM SHOULD IMPROVE HUMAN HEALTH. HOWEVER, DESPITE THE ANTICIPATED BENEFITS, SORGHUM CONTINUES TO BE UNDERUSED IN THE UNITED STATES. ONE POSSIBLE REASON FOR THIS MAY BE THAT CLINICAL EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE BENEFITS OF SORGHUM IN HUMANS REMAINS SPARSE.THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO COMPARE IN HUMANS THE EFFECTS OF CONSUMING FOODS MADE FROM WHOLE GRAIN SUMAC SORGHUM (HIGH IN PHENOLICS), WHOLE GRAIN WHITE SORGHUM (LOW IN PHENOLICS), AND WHITE RICE (CONTROL) ON HEALTH MEASURES AND GUT MICROBES. TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE WILL FIRST DEVELOP AND ASSESS GLUTEN-FREE CEREAL, CRACKER, AND GRAIN POUCH PRODUCTS MADE WITH EITHER (1) SUMAC SORGHUM, (2) WHITE SORGHUM, OR (3) WHITE RICE. THEN, WE WILL PERFORM A CLINICAL TRIAL ON ADULTS WITH EXCESS BODY WEIGHT TO COMPARE THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF EATING WHOLE GRAIN SUMAC OR WHITE SORGHUM DAILY RELATIVE TO WHITE RICE. FINALLY, WE WILL TEST HOW WELL THE BENEFITS OF SORGHUM ARE EXPLAINED BY ITS EFFECTS ON GUT MICROBES. KNOWLEDGE FROM THIS PROPOSAL WILL SUPPORT THE MARKETING OF SORGHUM IN THE UNITED STATES AND INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE HUMAN CLINICAL TRIALS WITH SORGHUM.