What Is Millet?

Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses that are widely cultivated as cereal crops or grains for human food and fodder all over the world. They were described in some of the earliest Yajurveda texts in India, identifying foxtail millet (priyangava), Barnyard millet (aanava), and black finger millet (shyaamaka), suggesting that millet consumption was widespread, pre-dating the invention of the wheel. On the other hand, lack essential nutrients for human health.

Millet Flour’s Nutritional Value

It is also a good source of nutrients. In particular, 100 grams provide 22% of the Daily Value (DV) for iron and energy-boosting B vitamins. The whole grain also provides antioxidants and other minerals, including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and potassium. Contains 73 grams of total carbohydrate, 8.5 grams of dietary fibre, 11 grams of protein, 85 micrograms of folate, 4.720 mg of niacin, 0.848 mg of Pantothenic acid, and 0.29 micrograms of riboflavin. Vitamin B6 is 0.384 mg, Vitamin E is 0.05 mg, Tocopherol alpha is 0.05 mg, Vitamin K is 0.9 mcg, Calcium is 1%, Iron is 17%, Copper is 38%, Magnesium is 28%, Manganese is 82 percent, Phosphorus is 28%, Potassium is 4%, Selenium is 4%, and Zinc is 11%.

Health Benefits Of Millet

Millet’s health benefits come primarily from its properties as a whole grain, not from millet itself. Because it belongs to the whole grain family, it may provide some of the benefits associated with whole-grain consumption. It can also have fibre-related health benefits because it includes fibre. The best Millets health benefit mentioned below. Both of these health benefits can obtain by using this in your diet.

Millet is beneficial to heart patients

Millet consumption in significant quantities lowers triglyceride levels in the body. It thins the blood to reduce the risk of sunstroke and coronary artery disease by preventing platelet clumping.

Guards the Gut

When you’re looking for a gluten-free option, millets are a great choice. Millets are gluten-free, so celiac disease sufferers should eat them. Millets are high in soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps to control digestion and keep food from moving too quickly or too slowly through your digestive tract. Insoluble fibre-rich foods can help to speed up the passage of undigested food through the colon while also lowering bile acid secretion, which helps to prevent gallstone formation.

Millet Helps in Weight Loss

Millets contain tryptophan, an amino acid that suppresses appetite and aids weight loss. It digests more slowly and leaves the stomach fuller for longer. There are rich in fibre and easily satisfy the appetite, avoiding overeating. It should be used in at least one of a person’s key meals if they want to lose weight. It comes in a variety of forms for weight loss, including foxtail millet, Kodo millet, finger, and pearl millet. You can use this millet to make a variety of food recipes without sacrificing flavour.

Colon Cancer Risk is Reduced by Millet

Fibre and phytonutrients contained in Foxtail Millet are thought to minimize the risk of colon cancer when consumed together. Millet lignan transformed into mammalian lignan in the intestine, which protects against breast cancer. In reality, consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 50%.

Decreases High Blood Pressure

Magnesium in millet helps to lower blood pressure by relaxing the muscles that line the inside of the arterial wall. It also helps to lessen the impact of asthma and migraines.

Controls Diabetes

Millet’s low glycemic index delays digestion and maintains a steady blood sugar level. Millets improve insulin sensitivity in diabetics and help non-diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes, regulate their blood sugar levels.

How to use millet?

The taste of millet flour is subtle and slightly sweet. It can be used as a 1:1 replacement for all-purpose flour in several recipes, but it’s usually mixed with other flours like rice or sorghum. it can be used in pancakes, bread, and a range of baked goods, including muffins, cookies, brownies, and cakes. It also works well in savoury dishes such as pizza crust and veggie fritters, as well as any recipe that calls for conventional flour, such as plant-based casseroles and stews.

Side Effects Of Millet

Millets considered healthy when eaten in moderation. Millions of people have eaten it as a staple food for thousands of years. Excessive millet intake, on the other hand, can have negative consequences. Millets contain goitrogen, a material that inhibits iodine absorption and utilization by the thyroid gland and interferes with thyroid hormone development. Iodine deficiency is a problem.

Iodine deficiency is a serious health condition that causes goitre, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

Dry skin, anxiety, depression, and slowed thought are all symptoms of goitre. Goitre was much more common in the Sudan region of Africa, where millet is consumed as a primary source of energy than anywhere else in the world. As a result, people with thyroid issues must reevaluate their situation.