This document discusses the nutritive and therapeutic value of millets. It notes that millets can help reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in India like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity due to their nutrient composition including high fiber, low glycemic index, and ability to control blood sugar and cholesterol. Millets are also important for addressing undernutrition in India. The objectives of the upcoming International Year of Millets are highlighted which aim to increase awareness, production, and research of millets. Some therapeutic recipes developed using millets at a hospital are also presented.

1. Nutritive and Therapeutic value of Millets
“मिल्लेट्स खाएं और रोगोंको दू र भगाएं ”
अंतरााष्ट्रीय पोषक अनाज वषा- 2023
Dr Mitasha Singh (Community Medicine)
Ms Anu Kushwaha (Dietetics)
ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad

2. Objective
• Burden of diseases affected by nutrition
• Millets in India
• Nutrient contents of millets
• Evidence from literature on effect of millets on reducing NCD
burden
• Objectives of international year of millets
• Some therapeutic diets by Dietician

3. Burden of non communicable (lifestyle) diseases
in India
• Diabetes among adults: 10.4%
(WHO-ICMR study, 2018)
• Hypertension among adults: 25.3%
(JAMA, 2018)
• Obesity among
• adult men: 57%, women: 48%
• WHO leading causes of deaths
worldwide (2019)

4. Risk factors for non communicable diseases (lifestyle
diseases)
NCDs
Raised
cholesterol
High blood
pressure
High blood
glucose
Obesity
Tobacco
Alcohol
Diet
Stress

5. Burden of underweight among children under 5
years (NFHS-V)
• Children under 5 years who are stunted (height-for-age):
35.5%
• Children under 5 years who are wasted (weight-for-height):
19.3 %
• Children under 5 years who are severely wasted (weight-for-height):
7.7 %
• Children under 5 years who are underweight (weight-for-age):
32.1%

6. Anemia burden in India (NFHS-5)
67.1%
57.2%
52.2%
31.1%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
6-59 months children 15-49 non pregnant
women
pregnant women men (15-49 yr)
Prevalence of Anemia
Anemia (low Hb)

7. India
• Global hub of millets: 80% of Asia’s output
and 20% of global production
• Coarse grains now called nutri-cereals
• National year of millet in 2018
• International year of millet 2023
• Government of India proposed 1 millet based
food per week in schools and anganwadi
• Contain anti diabetic property: millet based
diet have low Glycemic index, reduces post
prandial glucose, and glycosylated Hb

8. Millets the Nutri cereals are climate friendly
Use 70% less water
than paddy
Grow in half the
time of wheat
Need 40% less
energy in processing

9. Why millets are special?
Why
millets are
special
Protein
Dietary
fibre
Iron
Calcium
Power house of nutrients

10. Nutricereals
• 11.6% Protein,
• 5% Fat,
• 67.5% Carbohydrates
• 2.3% Minerals
Bajra
• 10.4% Protein,
• 1.9% Fat,
• 72.6% Carbohydrates
• 1.6% Minerals
Jowar
• 7.3% Protein,
• 1.3% Fat,
• 72.0% Carbohydrates
• 2.7% Minerals
Ragi

11. Nutrient content for 100 g edible portion
Nutrients Foods Nutrient content Food Groups
Calcium
Ragi,
Bengal gram (whole), horse gram (whole),
rajmah and soyabean
200-340 mg Cereals and Legumes
Amaranth, cauliflower greens,
curry leaves, knol-khol leaves
500-800 mg Green leafy vegetables
Agathi 1130 mg Green leafy vegetables
Colocasia leaves 1540 mg Green leafy vegetables
Coconut dry, almond,
mustard seeds and sunflower seeds
130-490 mg Nuts and Oilseeds
Gingelly seeds 1450 mg Nuts and Oilseeds
Cumin seeds 1080 mg Nuts and Oilseeds
Bacha,katla,mrigal,pran and rohu 320-650 mg Fish
Buffalo's milk, cow's milk,
goat's milk, curds(cow's)
120-210 mg Milk and Milk Products
Cheese,khoa,skimmed milk powder
and whole-milk powder
790-1370 mg Milk and Milk Products

12. Iron content per 100 gm

13. Fat content per 100 gm
Food items Fat
Palmitic
acid
Stearic
acid
Total
Saturates
Oleic
Total
mono
Unsaturat
es
Linoleic
Alpha
linolenic
Total poly
Unsaturat
es
BAJRA 5.5 1.0 0.24 1.24 1.2 1.2 2.2 0.13 2.33
JOWAR 3.3 0.5 0.07 0.57 1.0 1.0 1.5 0.05 1.55
MAIZE 4.8 0.7 0.2 0.9 1.1 1.1 2.2 0.05 2.25
RAGI 1.5 0.3 0.02 0.32 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.05 0.35
RICE 1.7 0.4 0.05 0.45 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.01 0.51
WHEAT 2.9 0.4 0.1 0.5 0.3 0.3 1.1 0.17 1.27

14. Nutritive value per 100 gm of edible portion
Food group Carotene
(micr gm)
Thiamine
(mg)
Riboflavin
(Vitamin B2)
(mg)
Niacin (mg) Folic acid
(mg)
BAJRA 132 0.3 0.3 2.3 45.5
JOWAR 47 0.4 0.1 3.1 20.0
RAGI 42 0.4 0.2 1.1 18.3
RICE 0 0.2 0.1 3.8 11.0
WHEAT,
flour(whole)
29 0.5 0.2 4.3 35.8

15. Fibre content per 100 gm
Nutrients Foods Nutrient content Food Groups
Fibre
Wheat,
Jowar,
Bajra,
Ragi,
Maize, Legumes, Dhals
and Fenugreek seeds
>10 g Cereals and Pulses
Dietary fibre: binds to bile salts and preventing its reabsorption and thus reducing cholestrol
level in circulation
Fibre (gum and pectin) when ingested with diet are reported to reduce post-prandial glucose level in blood

16. Glycemic Index
• Area under the 2 hr. blood glucose response curve
following the ingestion of 50 gm test carbohydrate.
• Utility in Management of diabetes & control of obesity.
classification GI range Examples
Low GI 55 or less Most fruits and veg.(except watermelon, sweet
corn, potatoes), whole grains, pasta foods, beans,
lentils, millets
Medium GI 56-69 Sucrose, basmati rice, brown rice
High GI 70 or more Corn flakes, baked potato, few rice varieties(eg
Jasmine), white bread, candy bar, syrupy foods

17. Evidence on millets as intervention on NCDs

18. Evidence on millets as intervention on NCDs

19. Evidence on millets as intervention on Anemia

20. Therapeutic effect
Control of
Blood sugar
and
Cholesterol
Foxtail
millet
(kangani)
Pearl
millet
(bajra)
Finger
millet
(ragi)
Barnyard
millet
(sama)

21. Therapeutic effects
Sorghum (jowar) and foxtail
(kangani) millet
Kodo millet
Postmenopausal women suffering from
signs of cardiovascular disease
Good for
gluten
intolerant
people
Kodo millet Barnyard millet
Nutritive in Pregnancy

22. Therapeutic effects
Sorghum (jowar)
Micronutrient
rich
Ragi
Protein rich
Important in preventing malnutrition
worldwide

23. Objectives of the International Year of
Millets
1.Increase awareness about the role of millets in food security
and nutrition
2.Improve sustainable production and quality of millets
3.Increase investment in research and development in the area

24. Recipes

25. Food preparations including millets at
ESIC MCH Faridabad
Food preparations Energy per serving (Kcal) Protein per serving (gm) Fat per serving (gm)
Bajra Khichri (twice a
week)
208 7 0.25
Jowari upma (twice a
week)
282 7.5 2.1
Jowar roti (daily) 342 11.6 1.8

27. Thank you