An Overview
Millet is a food staple for many diets throughout the world. Millet has been grown for centuries in Africa, Egypt and other parts of Europe. For the most part, its types grew wild in Africa before being cultivated. It is an excellent crop which resembles the corn on a cob when growing. It can easily grow in cold and arid regions in a time span of as less as 70 days. This property is what made it so popular in China and Europe. It was mostly being harvested for food. It was eaten like oatmeal or porridge.
Millet Nutritional Facts
Millet is considered one of the worlds healthiest foods and is packed full of nutrients. It is composed of
14.00 mg Calcium,
0.535 mg copper
3.94 mg iron,
119.0 magnesium,
1.002 mg manganese,
32.7 mcg selenium
224.00 mg potassium
285.00 mg phosphorus per 100-grams.
It also contains many vitamins such as niacin,riboflavin, Pantothenic acid, Folate, Folic acid, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, andVitamin K.
Types of Millet
Foxtail Millet
Foxtail millet, or indigenously called Kakum/Kangni. It contains blood sugar balancing healthy carbohydrates. The iron and calcium content present in it also helps strengthen immunity. In addition, foxtail millets help regulate your blood cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol levels in your body.
Ragi is a more common name for finger millet. It is used as a healthier cereal substitute for rice and wheat. Ragi is gluten-free and rich in protein. Ragi is supposed to aid brain development in growing children.
Pearl Millet/Bajra
Bajra is incredibly nutrient-dense. It contains minerals such as calcium and magnesium, protein, fibre, and iron. Practice regular consumption of pearl millet to fight against type II diabetes.
Buckwheat
Go for buckwheat if your primary concern is to lose weight. It makes for a healthy food option for diabetes, helps lower blood pressure, and improves cardiovascular health.
Millets Acts as an Antioxidant
Millets help your body detox because of their antioxidant properties; Quercetin, curcumin, ellagic acid, and other valuable catechins flush out toxins from your body and neutralise the enzymatic actions of your organs.
Benefits of Millet
1. Good Digestion:
An unhealthy digestive system can be the cause of many health-related issues. It can prevent your body from absorbing an adequate amount of nutrition. It provides up to 9 grams of fiber per 100-gram of serving. The fiber present in millet helps in healing illnesses such as diarrhea and gastrointestinal disorders. Regularly making millet a part of your diet will help maintain a healthy gut and prevent peptic ulcers and colon cancer.
2. Protect Your Heart:
The soluble fiber in millet can help reduce the amount of “bad” cholesterol in your blood—a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Soluble fiber turns into a gel in your stomach and absorbs cholesterol, allowing it to be safely carried out of your system.
3. Protect Your Heart:
The soluble fiber in millet can help reduce the amount of “bad” cholesterol in your blood—a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Soluble fiber turns into a gel in your stomach and absorbs cholesterol, allowing it to be safely carried out of your system.
Some studies show that millet can also raise your “good” cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides. Because cholesterol is such a big risk factor for heart disease, eating millet regularly may help keep your heart healthier.
4. Control Blood Sugar:
mMillet is low in simple carbohydrates and higher in complex carbohydrates, making it a low-glycemic index (GI) food. This means millet takes longer to digest than standard wheat flour. Low-GI foods can help keep your blood sugar from spiking after eating, which allows people with diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels more easily.
5. Asthma Prevention:
Wheat is often considered an allergen in cases such as Asthma, but, the good news is the composition of millet makes it a beneficial grain for Asthma patients. There have been observations that show millet significantly reducing the effects of Asthma and may be beneficial for preventing it.
6. Cholesterol Regulation:
Fiber a beneficial element for many illnesses is the best way to control cholesterol in our bodies and prevent it from clogging the arteries. The fiber present in it often conducts a cleaning operation in the body and helps get rid of LDL cholesterol. This protects the body from various diseases.
7. Clear up Toxins:
A toxin-free body is a goal. Recent studies have made it quite clear that a toxic bloodstream can be the reason of contracting multiple diseases at once. There are many ways to keep detoxifying the body, as it accumulates toxins every day. Millet contains catechins such as Quercetin that help keep the kidney and liver functioning properly by excreting the toxins from the body.
8. Prevents Gallstones:
Some studies indicate the role of insoluble fiber in preventing the formation of gallstones. There is a lot of research which shows that consumption of millet and other similar fibers helped reduce the risk of gallstones. This is due to the reduction in intestinal transit time, aided by the consumption of fiber.
9. Celiac Friendly:
Most grains contain gluten and cause allergic reactions in people suffering from celiac disease. They are gluten intolerant and cannot consume staples such as wheat. This is where millet, being a gluten-free alternative fulfills their requirements. It is considered a grain due to its texture but is a seed which makes it a good alternative.
10. Helps Repair Body-Tissue:
Phosphorus, the mineral that does it all. It is the mineral that helps in forming the structure of the cells in the body, helps form the mineral matrix of the bone and aids the molecules that are the source of energy for our body. Millet is a good source to get the phosphorus intake required for the body to perform all these functions.
There are many ways to include millets in your diet. You can use this food grain as a cereal substitute, make porridge, infuse it into cupcakes – the uses of millets in cuisine is endless. So include this superfood into your everyday diet and notice the positive changes it brings to your life.