The Study
A systematic review and meta-analysis by scientists and professionals from 8 organizations across 4 countries was undertaken including 30 studies on 6 types of millet, with 22 studies on humans (including about 1,000 children, adolescents and adults, for short (<4 months) and long (>4 months) periods of time) and 8 in vitro (laboratory) studies.
Results
Study shows consumption of millets improved iron status and hemoglobin as well as reducing anameia.
Key results on Consumption
- Increased haemoglobin levels by 13.2% compared to regular diet (increased by 2.7%)
This is based on 19 of the efficacy studies conducted on anaemic individuals, with regular millet consumption (with studies ranging from 21 days to 4.5 yrs) of millets either as a meal or drink and compared to regular diets.
- Increased serum ferritin levels by an average 54.7%
This is based on three studies: two with high iron pearl millet meals consumed for 6 months and one with sorghum meals (iron levels not specified) consuming for 8 months.
- Reduced anaemia
This is based not only on the studies showing increased haemogloban and serum ferritin levels, but also 7 studies on adolescents fed millet-based meals who went from moderately anaemic to normal (from 10.8±1.4 to 12.2±1.5mg/dl haemoglobal levels, >12 being normal).
Key results on bioavailability
- Bioavailability percentage of iron in millets is at the upper level for plant-based iron (7.22% ± 1.78)
- Antinutrients of millet are similar or lower than common staples
- Processing can significantly increase the amount of iron bioavailable
- Expansion (extrusion) increased bioavailable iron 5.4 times
- Fermentation, popping and malting more than tripled bioavailable iron (3.4, 3.4, 3.5 times)
- Germination (sprouting) and decortication (dehulling) more than doubled bioavailable iron (2.2, 2.6 times)
- Dephytinization increased bioavailable iron 1.4 times
- Adding an absorption enhancing agent such as vitamin C rich food improved iron bioavailability percentage up to 6.8 times
- Millets can provide all or most of the daily physiological requirement of the average person dependent on the millet variety and form of processing.
Policy Recommendations
Incorporate millets into solutions and meals designed for reducing anaemia or for high-risk groups like adolescent girls and women at child-bearing age
Meals should be designed in culturally sensitive ways for the different communities and ages.
Design policies and incentives to diversify staples in the diet with millets
Given that a major part (e.g., 80%) of the diet in developing countries comprises low iron staple food, achieving sufficient intake of iron through the remaining 20% of the diet is impractical. Therefore, it is important to diversify the staple food by including naturally iron-rich food crops such as millets
This is further supported by the fact that millets have other nutritional and health benefits such as high levels of other necessary nutrients (e.g., zinc, calcium and protein) and are also low in glycemic index able to manage and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and good for reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and reducing BMI. Additionally, millets are a ‘smart food’: not only ‘good for you’ but also ‘good for the planet’ and ‘good for the farmer’, i.e., environmentally sustainable, climate-smart, and having a lower carbon footprint. Therefore, millets should also be part of solutions for reforming the food system. This will help contribute to a range of UN Sustainable Development Goals such as Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Climate Action.
Research Priorities
One major anaemia study is recommended covering all types of millets and processing and using consistent testing methodologies
More individual studies will be helpful on anaemia; however, the greatest value would be one major study covering:
- all the types of millets and range of varieties
- all major main forms of cooking/processing
- with whole grain and different levels of refinement
- using consistent testing methodologies
- including testing for bioavailablity, iron status and haemogloben as well as reducing anaemia.
Undertake studies on all types of millets that have not already been studied and include a range of varieties commonly available
Priority includes:
-proso millet, barnyard millet, browntop millet, fonio, tef, job’s tears and guinea millet which were not included in any studies
-kodo millet, little millet and foxtail millet which were only included in mixed millet meals in the studies.
Develop better understanding on diversification of staples and impacts on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Diversification of staples with millets can impact the ‘smart food triple bottom line’ of being good for you, planet and farmer, and needs to be understood holistically to make informed decisions.
Authors
Dr S Anitha
Senior Nutrition Scientist, ICRISAT
Ms Joanna Kane-Potaka
Assistant Director General, ICRISAT,
Executive Director of the Smart Food
Dr Rosemary Botha
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead,One Acre Fund
Former Research Analyst, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI )
Professor Ian Givens
Director at University of Reading’s Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH)
Nur Liana Binti Sulaiman
Co-author, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health,
University of Reading, UK
Dr Sweta Updhyay
Co-author, UNICEF
Dr Thingnganing Longvah
Co-author, Scientist, National Institute of Nutrition (NIN)
Dr Vetriventhan Mani
Senior Scientist (Genetic Resources), ICRISAT
Dr Ananthan Rajendran,
Scientist, National Institute of Nutrition (NIN)
Dr Takuji W Tsusaka,
Kobe University, Japan
Professor Kowsalya Subramaniam
Registrar, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women (deemed to be university)
Dr Raj Bhandari
Medical doctor,
Rep. on the Indian National Technical Board of Nutrition
Contacts
Rohit Pillandi, Senior Communication Officer, ICRISAT
+91 9949513812
Dr S Anitha, Senior Scientist, Nutrition, ICRISAT, India
Joanna Kane Potaka, ADG – External Relations; Executive Director, Smart Food
Nutrition study series
This study is part of a series that has been worked on for the last four years under the Smart Food initiative and will be progressively released in 2021, including systematic reviews on the impacts of millets on
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- Diabetes
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Managing lipid profile (cholesterol, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease)
- Calcium deficiencies and requirements
As part of this, ICRISAT and the Institute for Food Nutrition and Health at the University of Reading have formed a strategic partnership to research and promote the Smart Food vision that our diets become healthier, more sustainable on the environment and good for those who produce it.
Author affiliations:
1.International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India
2.International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Malawi
3.Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Reading, UK
4.UNICEF, Malawi
5.National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), India
6.Ostrom Center for advanced studies on natural resources governance, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
7.Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, India
8.National Technical Board of Nutrition, Government of India (GoI), India
