Importance of Millets

It is impossible to overstate the importance of excellent nutrition and healthy food, especially in the wake of the recent pandemic. Whole grains, including wheat, rice, lentils, and pulses, are commonly eaten and advised by nutritionists and other health experts. Another ancient superfood that has recently attracted attention is millet. Millet has been grown on the Indian subcontinent for at least 5,000 years and is common throughout Africa and Southeast Asia.

In reality, millet’s adaptability and ease of cultivation are reviving interest in it. You may find different types of millet throughout India, including pearl millet and sorghum millet. The health advantages of millet can be found in all of these varieties, notwithstanding their appearance.

What is the Importance of Millets

Benefits to Health

• Niacin, found in millet, aids the body in more than 400 enzymatic processes. Niacin is necessary for a healthy immune system and healthy skin and organs. Because it’s such a vital component, it’s typically added to processed foods as a supplement.

• Beta-carotene is abundant in millet, particularly the darker kinds. This natural pigment functions as an antioxidant and a precursor to vitamin A to protect your eyes and your body from free radicals.

• Millet is a low-glycemic index (GI) as well as a non-acid forming food because it is low in simple carbohydrates and high in complex carbohydrates. Therefore, millet flour requires more time in the digestive process. People with diabetes can better control their blood sugar levels by eating meals with a low glycemic index (GI).

• Insoluble and soluble fibre can be found in millet. As a prebiotic, millet’s insoluble fibre promotes the healthy microorganisms in your intestines. In addition to helping keep you regular and decreasing your chance of colon cancer, this particular form of fibre helps bulk up stools.

• Millet’s soluble fibre may help lower bad cholesterol levels, which is a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. In the stomach, soluble fibre forms a gel that absorbs cholesterol, allowing it to exit the body safely.

• According to some research, Millet may also raise your “good” cholesterol levels and lower your triglycerides. Eating millet regularly may assist in keeping your heart healthy because it lowers cholesterol levels.

Nutrition

Potassium, found in abundance in millet, aids kidney and heart health. Nerve signal transmission, which is how your mind and muscles communicate, also relies on potassium.

Potassium, Phosphorus and Niacin are also found in abundance in this food, as well as Vitamins A and B. Millets are also rich sources of minerals. 

Wide Capacity for Adoption

• Millet is a resilient small-seeded grass that grows well as a rain-fed crop under marginal soil fertility and moisture conditions in dry regions. The earliest domestically farmed cereal grain millets are Sorghum, Finger Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, and Barnyard Millet. While rice and wheat require a lot of water and fertiliser, millets can thrive in dry areas since they are rain-fed crops. They are low in fat, low in glycemic index, and high in dietary fibre.

• According to agronomics, the resurgence of millet production in the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana is a step toward more environmentally friendly farming methods that preserve the region’s rich biodiversity. Millets have several advantages over other crops in terms of sustainability. 

• When comparing the amount of water required to cultivate rice and millets, it is clear that rice requires more water. An ICRISAT study has found that a single rice plant requires approximately 2.5 times the amount of water as a single millet plant of most kinds. This global research organisation is striving to popularise millets.

• During the Kharif (April-October) season, it was a staple food in the northern and southern Karnataka regions during the Kharif (April-October) season. It was grown alongside groundnuts and other crops by farmers in Dharwad, Bagalkot and the surrounding areas. When rice and wheat arrived in the region three to four decades ago, millet was supplanted as the primary source of food for farmers in the Mandya and Tumakuru regions.

Government Measures to Increase Millets Production

• Despite its multiple advantages, Millet use is confined to traditional consumers, i.e., tribal communities. There aren’t many ready-to-eat millet-based goods available to consumers.

• Millets have recently received attention, and attempts are being made to obtain easy and value-added processed products from them. Millets, such as jowar, bajra, ragi, and other varieties, are important food sources for many households in dry and hilly regions. As a result, it has been advocated that the Public Distribution System add millets to its food supply.

• Millets have been acknowledged as an important part of the food chain by the government. The NFSM’s first projections for increasing food grain production by 25 million tonnes include a 2 million-ton share for millets or 8 percent of the increased food grain output.

Conclusion

It has several advantages, including low-maintenance, disease resistance, nutritional value, market demand, fodder value, and ecological benefits.

Millets, often known as C4 crops, are extremely effective at absorbing and utilising CO2. Most millets are well-known for their toughness and ability to produce grains and fodder, even when subjected to protracted periods of drought and high heat.