English
Millets have stood the test of time and have existed before the Indus Valley Civilisation. It has been mentioned in the oldest Yajurveda texts as priyan gava (foxtail millet), aanava (barnyard millet) and shyaamaka (finger millet), which predates the Bronze Age of 4500 BCE.
Millets belong to the grain food category, known for local nutrition specific to that geographical region. In earlier days, before the Green Revolution, rice and wheat were the main grains available. Due to varying work needs, only some people in certain regions could afford and access this crop. During cultivation, millet grains require a small investment of seeds with more harvest, and they can easily grow as a rain-fed crop, which helps sustain agriculture.
In this article, Dr Karthiyayini Mahadevan, Head, Wellness and Wellbeing at Columbia Pacific Communities, helps us understand how adding these tiny superfoods in your daily diet can help your overall health.
It became a popular grain amongst the less affluent groups engaged in hard labour throughout the day because of its nutritional value. Millets are energy-dense grains with higher nutritional value, and each geographical region took certain millets for their regular use. In India, millets were the most popularly cultivated grain until 50 years ago.
Millets are small grains that require minimal effort, pesticides, and fertilisers to grow on marginal soils.
They are divided into two types, big millets and small millets, according to their size and cultivation area. Sorghum (jowar) and pearl millet (bajra) are widely used in the Indian subcontinent. The small millet category includes finger millet (ragi), foxtail millet (kangni), little millet (kutki) etc.
With machines taking up most of the hard manual labour work, there was a shift in the lifestyle, and the food requirement went down until the population increased. The Green Revolution met the growing demand by increasing harvest yields with fertilisers and chemicals, providing food for many families. Yields of rice and wheat increased to many folds. But, these mutations and lifestyle changes pose many health challenges.
Diabetes mellitus, one of the most common diseases, is a growing epidemic and a significant health concern burdening the world. Still, millets serve as a fresh breath to tackle these health challenges.
Even though millets have existed since ancient times, they were dropped from the diet due to changes in food habits and globalisation and have been looked at as a poor man's food. However, the increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases has made us aware of the nutritional advantages of this cereal.
Millets have revolutionised the health industry. Millets are rich in antioxidants such as quercetin, catechin, curcumin, etc., which help fight the free radicals. Consuming millet has numerous benefits, but the wisdom lies in how we consume it. It is not protective but counterproductive if the grains are mixed and consumed as multigrain. Our body's metabolic system must distinguish each grain and its specific reactions. Sticking with one type of grain for at least two months before trying others is best.
Millets have been introduced in the mid-day meal schemes in schools. It is a wonderful way to bring the right nutrition to the growing children.
With less soil left for irrigation and more population, millets are a saviour and a miracle for the new millennium. Its quality of sustainability will play an essential role in keeping the food demand of the growing population.