Health Benefits Of Millet

Although millet is most often associated as the main ingredient in bird seed, it is not just "for the birds." Creamy like mashed potatoes or fluffy like rice, millet is a delicious grain that can accompany many types of food. As with most grains, millet is available in markets throughout the year.

Millet is tiny in size and round in shape and can be white, gray, yellow or red. The most widely available form of millet found in stores is the hulled variety, although traditional couscous made from cracked millet can also be found. The term millet refers to a variety of grains, some of which do not belong to the same genus. 

These small grain plants are primarily produced in India, who cultivates over 8 million tons every years, followed by a number of larger African countries and China. Millet can be used as a traditional cereal, but can also be used in porridge, snacks, and other breads, as it is very high in starch, like most other grains. Millet is also a very good source of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds that can significantly boost human health in various ways. It is receiving an additional boost of attention in recent years, as Celiac disease seems to be a larger and more well known condition. Millet is gluten-free, so Celiac sufferers can turn to millet as their source of grains, instead of wheat. In terms of basic food staples that are praised as the simplest and most valuable additions to diets around the world, millet provides the most energy, as well as the most fat and B-vitamins.

Source of Protein for Vegetarians 
Millet provides you with a good source of vegetarian protein. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 cup of cooked millet gives you 6 grams of protein. If you're following a vegetarian diet or simply trying to reduce your meat intake, millet is a good high-protein, low-fat addition to your pantry. However, millet does not contain all the essential amino acids that your body needs in adequate amounts. Pairing it with beans, such as making a millet and garbanzo bean salad, will give you all the amino acids your body needs to assemble proteins.

Sprouting Millet (Malting) makes some minerals more bioavailable
In India and some other countries, sprouted (malted) grains are commonly used as weaning foods for infants and as easily-digested foods for the elderly and infirm.  A study at the Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore, India, measured the changes caused by malting finger millet, wheat and barley. They found that malting millet increased the bioaccessibility of iron (> 300%) and manganese (17%), and calcium (“marginally”), while reducing bioaccessibility of zinc and making no difference in copper. The effects of malting on different minerals varied widely by grain.



Development and Repair of Body Tissue
The phosphorus provided by millet plays a role in the structure of every cell in the body. In addition to its role in forming the mineral matrix of bone, phosphorus is an essential component of numerous other life-critical compounds including adenosine triphosphate or ATP, the molecule that is the energy currency of the body. Phosphorus is an important component of nucleic acids, the building blocks of the genetic code. In addition, the metabolism of lipids (fats) relies on phosphorus, and phosphorus is an essential component of lipid-containing structures such as cell membranes and nervous system structures.

Gluten-Free Food

If you're following a gluten-free diet due to celiac disease, a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance, millet is a safe grain for you to consume. Cutting out gluten, the protein found in the grains wheat, rye and barley, can be challenging at first. Hearty grains, such as millet, are an easy and filling alternative to gluten-containing pastas and bread products. You can also purchase or grind your own millet flour to use in gluten-free baking. It provides extra nutrition and flavor to breads, muffins and cereals.

All Millet Varieties Provide Antioxidants

Eating millet may help to reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases. According to a study published in the "Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics" in February 2009, millet contains significant amounts of phenols. These compounds function as antioxidants that help prevent oxidative stress and damage in your body caused by harmful free radicals. A diet high in antioxidants may help to prevent degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes, according to a 2005 article in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

At the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, a team of biochemists analyzed the antioxidant activity and phenolic content of several varieties of millet: kodo, finger, foxtail, proso, pearl, and little millets. Kodo millet showed the highest phenolic content, and proso millet the least. All varieties showed high antioxidant activity, in both soluble and bound fractions.

Detoxifies the Body
Many of the antioxidants found in millet, in addition to their beneficial impact on neutralizing free radicals, which can cause cancer, they can also clean up other toxins from your body, such as those in your kidney and liver. Quercetin, curcumin, ellagic acid, and various other beneficial catechins can help to rid your system of any foreign agents and toxins by promoting proper excretion and neutralizing enzymatic activity in those organs.

Aids Respiratory System 
Research has shown that millet can significantly improve the quality of life for people suffering from childhood asthma, and can also prevent it from developing in the first place. Although some of the evidence is controversial, it is shown that significantly less wheezing and asthma attacks (by more than 15%) was seen in children who had large intakes of grains like millet. However, as wheat is a common allergen that is associated with asthma and wheezing, millet does not have the same components and does not have this negative effect.

Lignans Protect against Heart Disease
One type of phytonutrient especially abundant in whole grains including millet are plant lignans, which are converted by friendly flora in our intestines into mammalian lignans, including one called enterolactone that is thought to protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers as well as heart disease. In addition to whole grains, nuts, seeds and berries are rich sources of plant lignans, and vegetables, fruits, and beverages such as coffee, tea and wine also contain some. When blood levels of enterolactone were measured in over 800 postmenopausal women in a Danish study published in the Journal of Nutrition, women eating the most whole grains were found to have significantly higher blood levels of this protective lignan. Women who ate more cabbage and leafy vegetables also had higher enterolactone levels.