10 Health Benefits of Millets will make you fall in love with it

Health Benefits of Millets:

In this busy world, we sometimes forget the good things, which matters a lot for our life and healthy living. We do not care unless until we do not need it again. The same thing happened with millets. It was the time in India when millets were part of people’s diet during the 1960s. Millets came into my life 6 years back and became a part of my family.
Let’s listen to what Millets says, “It’s time to rethink and bring our lost traditional millets and rediscover my values, benefits and make me a part of your daily life”. We have fallen in love with it because it has changed many things in our life.

I am Tapas Chandra Roy, a Certified Farm Advisor on Millets, promoting millets from farm to plate. In this blog, I will be presenting the 10 Health Benefits of Millets. I am sure after knowing the health benefits of millets and their value, you will definitely include them in your diet.

If you are new to millets and want to know about the different types of millets grown in India and how does it look it. CLICK HERE

Health Benefits of Millets:

1. All millets are gluten-free and recommended for celiac patients.

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine, triggered by eating food containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rice, and many more grains. Gluten makes the dough elastic.
When someone with celiac disease eats gluten food, their body overreacts to the protein and damages the villi of the small intestine.
Celiac disease is found in 1 out of 100 people worldwide. So, millets are becoming a part of the diet of celiac patients.

2. Due to a low glycemic index, Millets control diabetes.

Many of us might be heard from our forefathers that, they had no diabetes during their time. But now, it is increasing at a fast rate in India and abroad. Now you could rightly point out what is going wrong now. It is all about the diet we consume, the lifestyles we are following with no exercise. It must be coming to mind, why we should consider millets.

Millets have a low glycemic index, that means it raises the blood sugar slowly in the body instead of rising quickly as in case of rice.
Due to the presence of high fibre, it takes more time for digestion. Millets contain complex carbohydrates which digest slowly in the body.
If you are diabetic, want to add millets to your diet, then this article is for you from where you can make a choice, 5 miracle millets for Diabetes.

3. Health Benefits of Millets -Millets help in decreasing obesity/weight loss.

Due to less fibre in our diet, there is an increase in obesity in India mostly in urban areas. We are preferring more refined cereals based which contain less fibre. Dietary fibre helps in the retardation of carbohydrates absorption and impaired glucose tolerance. It helps in increasing the transit time of food in the gut. Tryptophan is found in millet (Foxtail Millet), which helps in managing weight. The presence of policosanols (Sorghum) favours weight loss. To understand, why millets help in weight loss, then this video is for you.

4. Millets help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Millets contain essential fats, just the right amount to give our body natural fat. This helps prevent fat from depositing over muscles and
avoid high cholesterol, heart strokes and heart-related diseases.

5. Health Benefits of Millets in preventing Cancer.

Millets are effective in the prevention of cancer initiation and progression. Millets contain fibres and phytonutrients, the combination of which is believed to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.

6. Millets helps to slow the ageing in our body.

Everyone likes to look and remain young always. Millets are a good source of antioxidants. The high amount of anti-oxidants present in millets fights with the free radicals present in the body which slows down the ageing process.

7. Millets help in better sleep.

Are you worried about getting better sleep? Tryptophan in millets raises the serotonin level in the body, which helps in reducing stress.

8. Millets help in reducing Hypertension.

Millets help in preventing oxidation of low-density lipoprotein thus reducing hypertension.

9. Health Benefits of Millets in preventing Anaemia.

In India, Anaemia is prevalent and it is mostly found in children, pregnant and non-pregnant women. Millets are the best source of iron. Iron is beneficial in preventing anaemia. Pearl Millet (Bajra) contains the highest iron content (11 mg per 100gm grains). Consumption of Pearl Millet prevents iron deficiency in the body.

10. Millets improves skin elasticity.

Millets are rich in amino acids called L-Lysine and P-Proline. Millets help to create collagen in the body, a substance that gives structure to the skin and tissue. Thus eating millet fortifies the collagen level to improve skin elasticity and makes it less prone to wrinkles.

Millets are good for adults as well as for babies and children. The recent first scientific study on millet-based meals in-school programs boosted growth in children by 50%. I too have given millet food to my daughter right after 6 months and still continuing it. The best millet is Ragi which you can add to your baby’s diet after 6 months of age. Why millets are good for babies?? Here is the Answer.

Hope these 10 health benefits of millets have given you enough reasons to add millets to your diet and after it in your regular diet, you will definitely fall in love with it as it will keep you healthy always. To know more about millets and millet recipes, you can subscribe to my Youtube Channel.

Please let me know in the comment box, how was the article and how you are planning to add millets to your diet. I will be happy to hear from you.

Author: Tapas Chandra Roy, A Certified Farm Advisor on Millets, ‘Promoting Millets from Farm to Plate’. In a mission to take the forgotten grains- Millets to Millions. To remain updated on my blogs on millets you can join my Telegram Channel – Millet Advisor.