The history of Indian cultivation is incomplete without including the staple crop of India; Millets. The cultivation of millet seed in India goes far back to being mentioned in the oldest texts like Yajurveda as Priyangava and Aanava.
Also known as coarse grain or mota anaj, Millet is an ancient forgotten grain that has recently made its comeback as a super grain essential for a nutritious food.
Millet lost its favour in India during the Green Revolutiondue to the introduction of hybrid productions such as wheat and rice. The demand for these two crops led to the decline of millet food drastically, and they started to go extinct. In fact, from 1960-65 to till the end of 2000, millet vanished from our diets.
However, with the increased consumption of rice and wheat, people began facing chronic health issues. To counter this, millet products were reintroduced as they are highly beneficial in fighting diseases like- diabetes, promote weight loss, and reduce obesity.
As individuals began incorporating this healthy grain, Millet became a highly valuable small-seeded, widely used crop worldwide. It soon became an integral part of the local food cultivation and a staple culture in India and across nations.
India and developing nations have realised the importance of Millets, which is perhaps why Food Habits across countries are experiencing a change.
There is a growing shift towards incorporating Indian Jowar in their meals. So much so that, understanding its goodness, the United Nations recently declared 2023 as an International Year in honour of Millets.
Rich sources of magnesium and essential minerals in millet seeds help motivate cardiovascular health and reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart attack or stroke. Millet based products promote less accumulation of ‘bad cholesterol’ in blood- a risk factor of atherosclerosis protecting heart diseases.
Switching to a healthy breakfast composed of millets helps maintain high-fibre levels in the body, ideal in balancing the cholesterol-lowering. A study by scientists at Sri Venkateswara University concluded that the millet produces significantly lower levels of Triglycerides and reduces very-low-density lipoprotein ( i.e. harmful cholesterol) while exhibiting an increase in high-density lipoprotein ( i.e. the good cholesterol). (5)
Millets help control diabetes and control blood sugar levels. It also reduces the chance of Type 2 diabetes because of its significant levels of magnesium. In addition, Millet foods are low in simple carbohydrates and high in complex carbohydrates, making it a low-glycemic index (GI) (4) grain. It gets easily digested by the system that other standard grains.
Millets contain soluble and insoluble fibres, which act as prebiotics in your stomach, and the good bacteria in our digestive system feeds on this prebiotic, balancing the digestive system. The rich fibre content eliminates constipation, bloating, cramping and also regulating your digestive process.
Millet product consumption in any form supports weight loss by boosting metabolism and immunity. In addition, millet seed contains Tryptophan, an amino acid that lowers appetite and helps in managing weight. It additionally controls your Body Mass Index.
Accumulated research evidence over the decades shows that this soft-textured edible grain is a crucial element for lowering the risk of colorectal cancer. The power grain contains fibre, bioactive phytochemicals, and phytonutrients that reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
Many of the antioxidants in millets can clean up toxins from your body. They are suitable for healthy hair promotion and skin.
