Pearl Millet

The most common millet variety is pearl millet. It has been cultivated from prehistoric times in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The crop's center of diversity and suggested area of domestication is in West Africa's Sahel zone.

 Health Benefits of PEARL MILLET:

1. Millets are a good source of starch, making them a high-energy food. It is also an excellent source of protein and fiber. It is said that the amino acids in the pearl millet are more easily digestible than the ones found in wheat.

2. Due to essential nutrients such as methionine, B complex vitamins, folic acid, lecithin, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and zinc, millets are very effective in several roles. Niacin reduces cholesterol while magnesium is essential for maintaining good heart health, as it lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart attacks.

3. Pearl millet is a rich source of phosphorous, which plays an important part in the structure of body cells. Phosphorous, found in pearl millets, is a significant component of several necessary compounds including Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This element is also a crucial component of neutric acids, which are the building blocks of the genetic code. Phosphorus is a constitute of lipid-containing structures such as cell membranes and nervous systems structures.

4. Recent studies have proven that regular consumption of pearl millets helps in preventing gallstones in women. They contain insoluble fibers which not only speed up intestinal transit time but also reduce the secretion of bile acids. Pearl millets are known to increase insulin sensitivity and lower the level of triglycerides.

5. Regular intake of millets provides protection against breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Apart from that, it has also shown a considerable reduction in the occurrence of wheezing and asthma in children.

6. Millets contain an essential phytonutrient, lignin, which is very beneficial for the human body. With the help of natural flora, lignans get converted to mammalian lignans and they fight against hormone-dependent cancers and reduce the risk of cardiac arrests.

7. Consumption of pearl millets helps in minimizing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Being a good source of magnesium, millets acts as a cofactor in a number of enzymatic reactions.

Nutritional Importance of PEARL MILLET:

• Pearl millet is the most widely grown type in millet. It has been grown in Africa and the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times. In different pearl millet genotypes, the starch content of the grain varied about 62.8 to 70.55, soluble sugar 1.2 to 2.6%, and amylose 21.9 to 28.8%. Lowe values for starch(56.3 to 63.7%) and amylose (18.3 to 24.6%) have been founded in some-yielding Indian pearl millet varieties. Jambunathan and Subramanian found that the predominant component of total soluble sugar(2.16 to 2.78%) was sucrose(66%), followed by raffinose (28%). Other sugars detected in measurable amounts were stachyose, glucose, and fructose. The proportion of sucrose in total sugar was lower in pearl millet than in sorghum.

• Pearl millet, like sorghum, is generally 9 to 13% protein, but large variations in protein content, from 6 to 12%, have been observed. Lysine is the first limiting amino acid of pearl millet protein. A significant inverse correlation has been reported between the level of protein in the grain and the lysine content of the protein. In high-protein varieties of pearl millet with protein content ranging from 14.4 to 27.1%, significant inverse correlations have also been observed between protein and threonine, methionine, and tryptophan. The essential amino acid profile shows more lysine, threonine, methionine, and cysteine in pearl millet protein than in proteins of sorghum and other millets. Its tryptophan content is also higher.

• Differences in lipid extraction procedures, as well as genetic variability, were shown to contribute to differences in the fatty acid content of pearl millet. The principal fatty acids in both free and bound were found to be linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Distinct differences in fatty acid composition were noted in the neutral lipid, phospholipid, and glycolipid fractions. Neutral lipid was highest in linoleic acid and lowest in palmitic acid; phospholipid was lowest in oleic acid and highest in palmitic acid, and glycolipid was highest in linolenic acid.

• The total dietary fiber in pearl millet (20.4%) and finger millet (18.6%) was higher than that in sorghum(14.2%), wheat(17.2%), and rice(8.3%) also found that the total dietary fiber content of pearl millet was 17%.

Nutritional Facts of PEARL MILLET:

Due to its rich composition of minerals and proteins, pearl millet has many health benefits. Pearl millet has the highest protein content. It contains many essential minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, etc. It contains essential amino acids and vitamins also which contribute to its therapeutic properties.

• Beneficial in treating stomach ulcers:  pearl millet is recommended for curing stomach ulcers. The most common cause of stomach ulcers is excess acidity in the stomach after food intake. Pearl millet is one of the very few foods that turn the stomach alkaline and prevents the formation of stomach ulcers or reduces the effect of ulcers.

• Beneficial for heart health: The lignin and phytonutrients in millet act as strong antioxidants thus preventing heart-related diseases. This is why pearl millet is considered good for heart health. High amounts of magnesium present in pearl millet have been shown to control blood pressure and relieve heart stress.

• Beneficial due to high amount of magnesium: pearl millet contains a high concentration of magnesium which helps reduce the severity of respiratory problems for asthma patients and is also effective in reducing migraine attacks.

• Helps in bone growth development and repair: Pearl millet has a large amount of phosphorus. Phosphorus is very essential for bone growth and development as well as for the development of ATP which is the energy currency of our body.

• Reduces cancer risk: all millets are known to reduce the risk of cancer occurrence and pearl millet is no exception. Though scientists are not sure how this is, they believe it has something to do with the high amount of magnesium and the compound phytate.

• Helps in weight loss: The biggest challenge faced by people trying to lose weight is controlling their food intake. Pearl millet can aid the process of weight loss as it is high in fiber content. Owing to its fiber content it takes longer for the grain to move from the stomach to the intestines. This way, pearl millet satiates the hunger for a long period of time and thus helps in lowering the overall consumption of food.

• Beneficial for diabetes: pearl millet is very effective for controlling diabetes. Because of its high fiber content, it digests slowly and releases glucose into the blood at a slower rate as compared to other foods. This effectively helps in maintaining the blood sugar level constant in diabetes patients for a long period of time.

• Beneficial for celiac diseases: Celiac disease is a condition in which a person cannot tolerate even a small amount of gluten in his/her diet. Unfortunately, most of the common grains like rice, wheat, etc have gluten present in them. Millets are the only type of grains that do not have any gluten present. Thus this is suitable for people with celiac disease.

• Reduces cholesterol: It is common knowledge that pearl millet is suggested for people suffering from high cholesterol levels. Pearl millet contains a type of phytochemical called phytic acid which is believed to increase cholesterol metabolism and stabilize the levels of cholesterol in the body.

• Contains all the essential amino acids: Amino acids are essential for the smooth functioning of our body. Pearl millet is one of the few foods which have all the essential amino acids required in it. Unfortunately, most of these amino acids are lost in the process of cooking because these amino acids cannot stand high temperatures. Thus it is better to consume in a low cooked form so as to preserve as many of these amino acids as possible.

• Beneficial in preventing gall stones: The high fiber content in the pearl millet is also known to reduce the risk of gall stone occurrence. The insoluble fiber content in pearl millet reduces the production of excessive bile in our system. An excessive amount of bile secretion in our intestine often leads to aggravating the condition of gall stones.

• Anti-allergic properties: Pearl millet is a treasure trove of beneficial properties. The grain is very digestible as such and has a very low probability of causing allergic reactions. Due to its hypo-allergic property, it can be safely included in the diets of infants, lactating mothers, the elderly, and convalescents.