- The study of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, and the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad published inNature Springer talks about how removing bran from millets could squander away the benefits of eating millets.
- Benefits of Millets:
- Millets are high in minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and they are an excellent source of phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds when compared with other major cereals (rice, wheat, maize).
- It offers a range of health benefits such as anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerogenic, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects.
- The Food and Agriculture Organization recognised 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
- Reasons for Polished Millets:
- Removing the bran and germ extends the shelf life of millets.
- Millet bran is rich in fats, and not removing could cause it to become rancid faster.
- Debranning will also reduce cooking time, and make the grain softer and less chewy.
| Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels, assigning a score from 0 to 100, with pure glucose rated as 100. Foods with lower GI values cause slower increases in blood sugar, often linked to higher fibre or fat content. Highly processed foods generally have higher GI scores. To understand both the speed and the amount of glucose entering the bloodstream, the glycemic load (GL) is used. |
Dig Deeper: Read about the importance of millet in the context of climate Change and Global Warming.
