Read full article By Y Akhila @ Wellness Munch Photo Credit: Wellness Munch
Eating is necessary but eating smart is an art. Millet, nowadays are gaining popularity among the young generation for their incredible health benefits. Millet are considered as miracle food which can solve all our health issues. There are so many articles floating on the internet about millet benefits, millet diets, and recipes. There is no doubt that millet do hold various nutritional benefits, we must make fully informed decision before including them in our diet. This article will help you to understand how can you enjoy millet benefits without causing any side effects.
Before knowing millet benefits ..What are millets?
Millets are small-seeded grains from hardy plants which are capable of growing in areas where there are low rainfall and poor irrigation facilities. Millets are one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. Millets are important crops in many states of India and Africa.
Why there is a sudden boom to these forgotten grains?
After the green revolution, rice and wheat have gained popularity over millets and slowly people forgot about these grains. In the last two years, many funds have been invested on millets which again brought them in limelight. Nutritionists, Environmentalists, and Government are promoting them in a big way which resulted in Millet Revolution. Intensive research on millets are conducted by ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research in Telangana, India, and by the USDA-ARS at Tifton, Georgia, United States. ( 1, 2 )
Millets are unique-
Millets are unique due to their –
– short growing season- can develop from planted seeds to mature, ready to harvest plants in a short time like 70 – 120 days.
– easily grown -unlike rice and wheat that require many inputs in term of soil fertility and water, millets can be easily grown in dry regions with minimum inputs.
– wonderful nutritional profile compared to other cereals.
– used as dual-purpose crops—food and fodder—they make strong economic sense in mixed farming systems.
