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Medical Journal, Armed Forces India logoLink to Medical Journal, Armed Forces India
. 2023 Apr 15;79(3):249–252. doi: 10.1016/j.mjafi.2023.04.001

Millets (Shrianna) and lifestyle diseases: A healing touch

Sandeep Kumar a,, Narendra Kotwal b
PMCID: PMC10182399  PMID: 37193512

Abstract

Traditionally, millets were the earliest food to be domesticated by human beings and it constituted the staple food for various civilisations across Asia and Africa. Somehow, during the course of modernization, the production and consumption of millets has declined significantly. Government of India has taken a lead role and has launched widescale strategies to promote millets in order to make India a global hub for millets. Millets has immense potential in enhancing the socioeconomic and health status of people. Regular consumption of millets translates into better post prandial blood glucose and better HbA1c levels. Millets mitigates atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk by lowering insulin resistance, better glycemic control, lowering non high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lowering BP and by virtue of presence of various antioxidants. There is a need to revive the awareness about nutritive and therapeutic values of millets. Scientific community is increasingly realising the enormous potential of millets in enhancing the nutritional quality of the population and as a tool to halt the global pandemic of lifestyle diseases.

Keywords: Millets, Lifestyle diseases, Sorghum, Starch

Introduction

United nations has declared the year 2023 as the international year of millets (IYM) and India has enormous role in spearheading such declaration.1 Traditionally, millets were the earliest food to be domesticated by human beings and it constituted the staple food for various civilisations across Asia and Africa. There is enough evidence to suggest that consumption of millets by earlier human civilisations offered them protection from various lifestyle diseases and cancers.2 It was not only the health benefits but cultivations of millets is also simple, requiring less resources and fertilizers. There has been phenomenal rise in various lifestyle diseases during last decade like type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, hypertension (HTN), etc. India is most affected nation by this slow rising pandemic of lifestyle diseases with India being considered the diabetes capital of the world. It is not only urban population but slowly this pandemic is percolating down to rural population at alarming pace.3 The amount of DM related morbidity is more in rural and low income setting where there is limitations with regards to DM self-management. Modern living and economic advancement has shifted the lifestyle of humans towards sedentary routine with more consumptions of refined carbohydrates and processed foods in excess quantity. Production and consumption of millets has declined significantly in developing nations and developed nations primarily use them as animal fodder. Consumption of millets is made less attractive, because they are considered as coarse grains and “poor man's crop.” Also, lack of awareness about health benefits and knowledge about how to prepare various types of foods from millets has also pushed millets to oblivion. Societies where millets constituted the staple food have transitioned themselves to more consumption of rice and refined wheat. Nations are increasingly realising the enormous potential of millets in not only enhancing the nutritional quality of the population but also as a tool to halt the global pandemic of lifestyle diseases. There is robust scientific evidence to suggest that consumption of millets reduces progression of prediabetes, results in better glycemic control, reduces body mass index (BMI), and mitigates atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.4 India has always been the frontrunner in this endeavour to an extent that Indian government has named millets as “Shrianna” and “nutricereals” and has decided to make India as global hub for millets.5

Types of millets in India

At present millets constitute 10% of total food grains produced in India. There are many types of millets which are produced and consumed in India depending upon geographical, climatic and cultural diversity. Cultivation of millets is less resource consuming and can be grown in arid land without fertilizers. Table 1 describes common millets being cultivated in India. Sorghum is the most widely studied millet and Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) Hyderabad is a pioneer institute conducting research on millets. Sorghum is the fifth largest cereal produced world over after maize, rice, wheat, and barley. However, production of sorghum has also decreased considerably from about 7 million tonnes in 2010 to about 4 million tonnes in 2015.6

Table 1.

Common millets found in India.7

S No Type of millet Vernacular name Carbohydrate content (g/100 g)
1. Sorghum Jowar 67.6
2. Pearl millet Bajra 61.7
3. Finger millet Mandua, ragi 66.8
4. Foxtail millet Kangini 60
5. Little millet Kutki 65.5
6. Barnyard millet Sanwa 65.5
7. Kodo millet Kodo 60
8. Proso millet Barre 70

Note: carbohydrate content of conventional cereals (g/100 g) like wheat, rice, and maize is 74.2, 74.8, and 67, respectively.

Health benefits of millets

Researchers have demonstrated that millets have low glycemic index and prevents conversion of prediabetes to DM. Regular millet consumptions translated into better glycemic control compared to consumption of rice or refined wheat in known diabetic patients.4 Millets contain about 65%–75% carbohydrates, 7%–12% proteins, 2%–5% fat, and 15%–20% fiber. They have higher content of essential amino acids compared to conventional cereals and presence of prolaminin in millets increase digestibility of proteins.

Millets have higher content of slowly digestible starch (SDS) which causes lower post prandial glucose and insulin excursions. Also compared to rice, wheat and maize, only about 25% of millet starch is digested.8 This unique starch digestibility of millets make them the best food to be consumed, prevent and better manage T2DM. Higher fiber content of millets increases the transit time of food in intestine and ensures higher binding to bile acids. This further helps in controlling glucose excursions and preventing hyperlipidaemia. Millets consist of higher sterols and pinacosanols, which prevent cholesterol synthesis. It has been demonstrated in animal study that sorghum fed hamsters have lower non HDL cholesterol. As discussed earlier, millet have higher binding to bile acids and causes net increased cholesterol loss.9

There is also some suggestion that high fiber content and high levels of phytates and tannins in millets negatively affects bioavailability of various minerals. It is also postulated that certain millets may impair iron absorption, but such hypothesis needs authentic scientific validation. Fig. 1 describes various health promoting characteristics of millets. Millets have certain phytochemicals which impart them antioxidant and immune modulatory properties. These phytochemicals are phytosterols, lignans, polyphenols, phytocyanins, and phytoestrogens. Sorghum is gluten free and other millets also have very low gluten contents. Millets have higher contents of B group of vitamins and compared to wheat and rice have higher contents of minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc. Finger millet (ragi) is one of the richest source of calcium containing about 300–350 mg of calcium per 100 g. Millets have also demonstrated neuroprotective effect in Parkinson's disease and also improves gastrointestinal motility in irritable bowel syndrome. Low gluten content make them food of choice in coeliac disease. Due to peculiar contents of macronutrients, micronutrients, gluten, and fiber, millets have protective role in DM, HTN, coeliac disease, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and various autoimmune disorders.10 Due to their antioxidant property, millets are considered to halt degenerative process in body and prevent carcinogenesis.9

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Health promoting characteristics of millets. SDS, slowly digestible starch.

National institute of nutrition has demonstrated in their study that in diabetic patients, regular consumptions of millets translate into better post prandial blood glucose and better HbA1c levels.4,10 Millets mitigates ASCVD risk by lowering insulin resistance, better glycemic control, lowering non high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lowering BP and by virtue of presence of various antioxidants.11

Conclusion

Millets traditionally has been the staple food of humankind for ages. Its consumption has considerably declined in past few decades owing to economic advancement and large scale availability of refined carbohydrates and processed food. Mundane taboo of “crop of poor,” lack of awareness about health benefits, and of knowledge about different preparation of millets is also responsible for declining human consumption. World is facing a challenge of phenomenal rise of lifestyle diseases of which DM and obesity constitutes the major chunk. Historical data as well as emerging scientific evidence are suggesting immense potential of millets in enhancing overall nutrition as well as halting progression of various lifestyle diseases. Government of India has taken a due cognizance of various health benefits of millets and has launched a intensive campaign to promote production and consumption of millets in the country. There is a need to reorient mental framework of people towards consumption of millets and to create large scale awareness about health benefits of millets. Medical fraternity should be highly sanguine to this forthcoming traditional nutritional revolution and should work for building a robust scientific evidence.

Disclosure of competing interest

The authors have none to declare.

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