Millets can be termed as a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, which are widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains. Sorghum (jowar), finger millet (ragi), pearl millet (bajra), and so on are some commonly known ones, which can help you to stay healthy and hearty. Millets are also packed with vitamin B, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, saponins, and lignans and fats. They can help protect the heart, prevent diabetes, improve the digestive system, detoxify the body and enhance your immunity. Thus, you should try and eat them on a regular basis. Furthermore, we list out few reasons to eat them and stay healthy.
They can help detoxify your body
Various studies suggest that millets are abundant in phenols and antioxidants, and may clean up toxins from your body. Quercetin, curcumin, ellagic acid, and various other beneficial catechins can help you tackle those foreign agents by eliminating toxins from your body and promote proper excretion and neutralizing enzymatic activity in certain organs.
They can help people with diabetes
You will be surprised to know that millets are highly nutritious and gluten-free. “They contain high dietary fibre, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, which can help you manage your diabetes. Foxtail millets ( can help improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity. They will also help you reduce your fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and triglyceride,” says Ankita Ghag, Clinical Dietician, InBody India. Moreover, millets are jam-packed with magnesium and you must be aware of the fact that Magnesium is one of the vital minerals for increasing the efficiency of insulin and glucose receptors in the body.
They can be helpful for your heart
Do you wish to protect your ticker? Then, without wasting any time, start eating millets. They are jam-packed with magnesium, which is vital for lowering your blood pressure and the risk of heart attack or stroke. Not only this, but millets also contain potassium, which also helps regulate your blood pressure low by acting as a vasodilator.
They can aid digestion
According to the study published in the Journal of Range Management on JSTOR, millets are considered as fibre-rich foods which be helpful for your gastrointestinal system. “You will be able to get rid of constipation, excess gas, bloating, and cramping, if you eat them,” informs Ghag. Thus, they regulate your digestive process and improve your nutrient retention and lower your chance of gastrointestinal conditions like gastric ulcers. Also, proper digestion and elimination of waste from the body can help optimize your kidney, liver, and immune system health, because those organ systems are closely related to your body s metabolic activities.
They can help you manage your cholesterol levels
Dietary fibre which is present in the millets can help tackle bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) from the system while promoting the effects of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol). This, in turn, will help you to keep your cholesterol levels in check.
They can help you grill your fat
“Millets have tryptophan, an amino acid which can suppress your appetite and help in managing your weight,” highlights Ghag. Millets tend to digest slowly and can help you stay full for a longer span of time. Hence, this will prevent overeating.
They can help you sleep peacefully
Today, due to a stressful life, people tend to encounter various health problems. On may suffer from depression, weight gain, anxiety, lack of sleep and so on. In case, you are finding it difficult to get a sound sleep then you must include millets in your diet. The tryptophan which is present in the millets can raise the serotonin level in your body which will help you reduce stress and ta da, you will be able to sleep well.
The takeaway message: According to the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, millets contain goitrogens. They suppress thyroid activity and can lead to goitre. This condition involves enlargement of the thyroid gland which resides in the throat. Low iodine intake can also lead to goitrein those who rely on millets as their staple food. So, speak to your expert and eat millets in the quantity suggested by him/ her to maintain good thyroid health.
