Exploring the health benefits of incorporating millets to our diet

The history of millets dates back thousands of years in the agricultural landscape of early human civilizations. Millets are a group of small seeded grasses that have been cultivated for food consumption in Asia and Africa and later were widely grown in Europe in the middle ages and spread to many other parts of the world where they became a dominant traditional grain crop. They were regarded as a significant grain worldwide because of their abundant nutritional values and multiple health benefits. Generally millets are hardy crops that are usually not prone to get affected by diseases or pests, therefore don’t need to be treated with chemical pesticides. Most varieties are pretty drought resistant and don’t require a sophisticated irrigation system since they can grow just by rainwater supply and can withstand periods of drought, which makes them a perfect climate resilient crop. Millets are a very low input crop and yet they yield a very good harvest, some varieties up to 2 to 3 crops per year.

Since the early 1900s two main important innovations have changed the production of foods, which were the use of synthetic fertilizers and the use of machinery in agriculture, which enabled a much higher yield in crops to feed the increasing growth of the populations worldwide. The so called ‘Green Revolution’ was a program launched in the 1950s and 1960s which prioritized the growth of high yielding varieties of high calorie crops like rice and wheat to fight starvation, not foreseeing the detrimental effects on health such foods might have. The usage of millets started to decrease and became less and less popular especially in the developed countries.

Nowadays millets are still grown in different countries all over the world, but after the beginning of intense farming of rice and wheat during the ‘Green Revolution’, the production declined and so millets became unpopular and more stigmatized as the food for the poor. All this modernization in the industrial food farming sector, with practices like heavy use of synthetic and chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, is contaminating the soil, water bodies and the surrounding eco systems. Such practices are also polluting the environment and depleting the nutrients in the soil, resulting in a lesser mineral and nutrient content in the grains, fruits and vegetables. Genetically altered foods, which have an effect on the human health and might toxically affect several organs and systems in the body, are slowly changing people’s consciousness, bringing back, at least in a small scale, a revival of the ancient methods of natural farming. The need to question the modern lifestyle in terms of food consumption with all its aspects from production to consumption, comes more to the forefront now because of the declining health of people in the so called developed, western countries, expressing as lifestyle diseases or the diseases of the affluent. Diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, gastro-intestinal diseases, allergies and autoimmune responses, obesity, etc. are all on the rise and people are starting to look for reasons, considering the connections with what they consume, the quality of their food, searching alternative treatments, and choosing organically grown, fresh healthy foods. Many new studies nowadays have shown how beneficial millets are to human health and they are seen as wholesome wonder grains. Even the United Nations have declared the year 2023 The International Year of Millets, which was brought forward by the Government of India and endorsed by the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILLETS

There are numerous dietary benefits in these nutrient dense, complete, wholesome wonder grains of millets. Scientists are studying those crops and because of their findings of beneficial impact on health, millets are slowly coming out of the shadow where they have been over the past four decades or more.

In the very comprehensive, holistic, ancient Indian medical sciences of the Siddhas, food is one aspect, besides many others, that plays a great role in physical and mental health and wellbeing. The digestive channel or Mahasrotas, starts form the mouth and ends at the anal canal with the rectum. This Master channel deals with ingesting and metabolizing food, nurturing and nourishing all the seven Thathus (tissues), and eliminating the waste products, thus giving the health of the digestive system great importance since its balanced functioning is affecting all other organs and systems in the body. When food is not properly digested in time, a substance called Ama, which can be understood as undigested or half-digested food matter, becomes foul and toxic by stagnation and accumulation. This toxic waste can lodge in weak areas of the bodily system, creating blockages that can evolve to chronic diseases over a period of time if not addressed. Chronic diseases happen in six stages, all starting with maybe a small issue of indigestion initially, but if not addressed at the root, rather suppressed with quick allopathic pills, can evolve over time into many chronic scenarios.

Let’s look at some of the major health benefits of eating a variety of millets under these aspects of digestion:

1. Carbohydrates: Millets are a great source of complex carbohydrates, which provide energy for the body. The carbohydrates in millets are digested slowly, which means the release of glucose into the bloodstream is much more gradual and thus not spiking up rapidly, helping to maintain more sustained energy levels throughout the day.

2. Low-glycemic-index: Foods like millets have a low glycemic index which means that those foods have a high fiber content and the release of glucose into the bloodstream after eating millets happens very slowly and gradually. They therefore don’t produce a spike in high blood sugar levels in the blood and are thus excellent for people with Diabetes or for those experiencing the pre-diabetic stages. Millets are supposedly taking around six hours in releasing the glucose into the blood stream. Another benefit is that one does not feel a sudden energy rush after eating which also declines fast again; rather, the energy level after eating millets is pretty consistent as the breakdown of the high fiber content grains are taking time to get digested.

3. Dietary Fiber: The high dietary fiber content in millets is important for maintaining digestive health. Insoluble fibers, which are abundant in millets, help the body to process waste material better. The high fiber content in millets contribute to enough roughage or bulk, absorb water and therefore help to form the stool material, making them softer, smoother and bulkier. This helps to have regular bowel movements, prevents or treats constipation and has an overall positive effect on all colorectal health to prevent hemorrhoids or diverticulitis or other inflammatory process in the gut. Some scientists have also linked a diet high in dietary fiber to lower the risks for colorectal cancers and breast cancer. The high fiber in millets also makes you feel fuller for a longer time, which is great for weight management and a good option for people with obesity. High fiber diets help lower cholesterol and may help to prevent cardio vascular diseases like high blood pressure.

4. Gluten free: Gluten is a type of protein that is present in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, etc. People with gluten related disorders, such as celiac disease or those who have a nonceliac but gluten sensitivity, should avoid eating those grains or the many products that contain them like all wheat varieties, semolina, spelt, faro, etc. which are found in foods like bread, pasta, cereals and many baked goods. People with such conditions as celiac disease or gluten sensitivities can experience symptoms that have an effect on the digestive tract and may feel abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea or constipation. Other symptoms may be fatigue and weakness, feeling tired and having lack of energy, recurring headaches or even migraines, joint and muscle pain, brain fog and difficulty concentrating, mood swings and irritability. Millets are gluten free so they are a great healthy alternative choice.

5. Proteins: Millets contain a good amount of protein, which is essential for the growth, repair and maintenance of the bodily cells by providing essential amino acids.

6. Minerals and Vitamins: Millets are packed with the most essential nutrients like iron, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, which are all important for various functions of the body.

7. Antioxidants: Antioxidants present in millets, are compounds that help to protect the cells in the body from the damaging effects of free radicals which are molecules that can cause oxidative stress that has been linked to various health conditions including cancer, heart disease, aging, etc.

8. Niacin: (Vitamin B 3) is one of the eight B vitamins. Millets are rich in niacin, which helps the body to manage more than 400 enzyme reactions, mainly related to obtaining energy from the food that we eat. Niacin is involved in cellular metabolism and plays a role in repairing DNA and therefore is protective of all cells. It has a great effect on healthy skin, boosts brain function, and has a positive balancing mechanism in blood fat levels, increasing the good cholesterol HDL and reducing LDL, the so called bad cholesterol and reducing triglyceride levels as well.

9. Millets have an alkalizing effect on the body which may help in reducing inflammation.

HOW TO USE MILLETS

There are many different types of millets on the market for example: Little millet, Barnyard millet, Kodo millet, Foxtail millet, and Browntop millet, which are the five types that are mostly advocated by Dr. Khader Vali, a food and nutrition specialist, also called the ‘Millet man of India’, who is engaged in reviving millets for over 20 years. There are some important directions how to consume and cook millets in order to make them most easily digestible. First and foremost, millets should be soaked in fresh water for six to eight hours before they get cooked after they have been washed once or twice, which enables the fibers present deep in the layers of millets to expand. The water in which the millets have been soaked in can be used for cooking and does not need to be discarded. Millets can be cooked in the same way rice is cooked, just with the double amount of water and adding the salt only after cooking is finished. One can also make a fermented kanji or porridge, which functions as a great probiotic.

For that one needs to cook the millet in much more water, e.g. 1/2 cup millet 5-6 cups water. Cook until the millets are soft ca. 30 minutes, depending on the type, then cover the pot with a cotton cloth and let it sit for 6-8 hours at room temperature to ferment in its own juice. If little salt is needed, add it only just before consuming.

In our classes with our Siddha master Pal Pandian, whether it be the medicine classes like Varmam, or our MM classes for our Selves, he is sometimes also touching upon subjects like food, diet, lifestyle, etc. and describes the Siddhas’ way of how to best adopt to the challenges in this changing world to stay healthy and vibrant. In that sense it is not only important what we eat but also how the food is prepared should be looked at. So for example we spoke about steaming the vegetables with a cloth on top instead of a closed lid, which is the best way to preserve the inherent nutrients and accounts for easiest digestibility. To make that into a delicious meal we can for example make a tadka or seasoning by melting cultured ghee, adding digestive herbs and spices like fennel, cumin, coriander, ginger, asafetida, turmeric, curry leaves, garlic, small onion, to name a few, and then shortly toss the steamed vegetables in that seasoning, finishing it with dry-roasted moringa-seasalt and some fresh cilantro. I found that steamed vegetables are in not much need of additional salt; they are quite tasty just like that.

Many factors like waiting to eat until the previous meal is fully digested, avoiding to overeat by only eating half stomach full, leaving a quarter for water and a quarter for air, not eating too late at night and giving a few hours to digest before we go to sleep, taking a small short walk after a bigger meal, drinking one cup of warm water one hour before lunch, sourcing fresh, seasonal produce etc. are just a few general guidelines that can be followed by everyone. However, certain recommendations, restrictions or additions of food items regarding specific diseases and ailments become of importance and will be discussed in detail during a consultation with a Siddha practitioner or Siddha Doctor and become part of the healing protocol.

Coming back to the topic of millets:

The picture above shows an example with what I cooked them today:

Barnyard Millet

Simple green mung dal with spices Steamed assortment of carrots, fennel, kohlrabi, sweet potato, and kale with a seasoning of spices.

It tasted very good :)