MILLETS: Good neutraceutical source
Ashutosh Dubey and A.K. Verma
College of Basic Sciences and Humanities
G.B.Pant Univ. of Agric. and Tech. Pantnagar

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Millet is one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain used for domestic purposes. In Africa and India, millet has been used as a staple food for thousand of years. Today millet ranks as the sixth most important grain in the world, sustains 1/3 of the world's population and is a significant part of the diet in northern China, Japan, Manchuria and various areas of the former Soviet Union, Africa, India, and Egypt. Millet is a major crop in many of these countries, particularly Africa and the Indian subcontinent where the crop covers almost 100 million acres, and thrives in the hot dry climates that are not conducive to growing other grains such as wheat and rice.

Millet is used in various cultures in many diverse ways: In India whole grain bread i.e. chapatti made from millet flour and used as the basis for meals. In Eastern Europe millet is used in porridge and kasha, or is fermented into a beverage and in Africa it is used to make bread, as baby food, and as uji, a thin gruel used as breakfast porridge. It is also used as a stuffing ingredient for cabbage rolls in some countries.

Millet is a tall erect annual grass with an appearance strikingly similar to maize. Millet is unique due to its short growing season. It can develop from a planted seed to a mature, ready to harvest plant in as little as 65 days. This is an important consideration for areas where food is needed for many. Millet is related to sorghum. There are many varieties of millet, but the four major types are Pearl, which comprises 40% of the world production, Foxtail, Proso, and Finger Millet. The most widely-cultivated species in order of worldwide production are.:

1. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum)
2. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica)
3. Proso millet also known as common millet, broom corn millet, hog millet or white millet (Panicum miliaceum)
4. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana)

Minor millets include:

Barnyard millet (Echinochloa spp.)
Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum)
Little millet (Panicum sumatrense)
Japanese millet (Echinochloa esculenta)
Guinea millet (Brachiaria deflexa = Urochloa deflexa)
Browntop millet (Urochloa ramosa = Brachiaria ramosa = Panicum ramosum)

Millets grow in harsh environments where other crops grow or yield poorly. Millet grows well on poorly fertilized and dry soils and fits well in hot climates with short rainfall periods and cool climates with warm summers. The plants need good drainage, have a low moisture requirement and do not do well in waterlogged soils. They are grown with limited water resources by a multitude of small farmers in many countries, usually without the application of fertilizers or other inputs. Consumed by disadvantaged groups, they are often referred to as "coarse grain" or "poor people's crops".

Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous and like buckwheat and quinoa, is not an acid forming food so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to heat the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates. Today the exploration and exploitation of the disease fighting properties of a multitude of phytochemicals found in both food and nonfood plants have created a renaissance in human health and nutrition research. At the same time, many opportunities for the development of novel dietary products have been created. With all new fields of study come new terms. "Nutraceuticals" and "functional foods" are two new terms used to describe health-promoting foods or their extracted components. The beneficial role of many nutraceuticals and functional foods may relate to their protective effects against degenerative diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Typically the active ingredient(s) in the food or supplement is believed to help the body combat metabolic processes that lead to degenerative conditions. In this way, supplementing the diet with beneficial phytonutrients may reduce the risk of degenerative diseases during aging.

Millet is tasty, with a mildly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a myriad of beneficial nutrients. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. The seeds are also rich in phytochemicals, including Phytic acid, believed to lower cholesterol, and Phytate, which is associated with reduced cancer.

The field of nutraceuticals and functional foods is new, and many gaps exist in the knowledge base. For example, it is widely accepted that the health-promoting properties of foods are not necessarily due to single components, but rather a few or several active ingredients. This creates a significant paradigm shift from the pharmaceutical model, which is based on the efficacy of single agents. Many of the bioactive phytochemicals under investigation have long been ignored, thus methods for their handling and measurement are lacking, thus studies in this area are urgently required for improvement of health of large section of society.

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