Millets Is Beneficial In Diabetes, Obesity, Other Disorders: MoS Dr Jitendra Singh

Millets are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre, and the lesser known fact is that all the dishes made from rice and wheat can also be made from millets

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday said that traditional millets diet is beneficial in diabetes, obesity and host of other disorders.

Millets are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre, and the lesser known fact is that all the dishes made from rice and wheat can also be made from millets.

Commemorating the International Year of Millets, Dr Singh said, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi popularised yoga globally, it's now time to do so for millets. He said, 10 of the 12 known types of millets are grown in India, which consist of complex carbohydrates, slow to digest and hence low glycemic index beneficial for blood sugar levels.

Similarly as International Yoga Day, spearheaded by PM Modi, the United Nations declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets” at the initiative of the Indian government last year and was backed by 72 other countries, Dr Singh said.

The minister informed that millets are drought-resistant, with lower water requirements, and can be cultivated on poor soils and in hilly terrain and therefore could be produced and promoted in almost all geographical terrains and regions of the world. They are also rich in carbohydrates, protein and minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, and zinc, he added.