Nutrition Tips For You | Millets For Weight Loss – Little Millet And Proso Millet

In our series about millets for weight loss, we have discussed health benefits of millets such as sorghum, bajra, barnyard and kodo millet. Now, we will explain the health benefits of Little Millet and Proso Millet.

Little Millet

Little Millet, one of the small millets, is commonly called kutki in Hindi. It is also known as sava in Marathi, gajro in Gujrati, same in Kannada, samai in Tamil, and samalu in Telugu. A traditional crop, it is grown across India.

Health Benefits:

-Nutraceutical properties: The millet is of low glycemic index food, contains slow digesting carbs and dietary fiber that takes longer time for glucose to enter the bloodstream and help control blood sugar levels.

-Other benefits: It is rich in magnesium that helps improve heart health. Vitamin B3 (niacin), a water-soluble vitamin, helps lower cholesterol. It also contains phosphorus which helps with weight loss, body tissue repair after strenuous workout and energy production.

-Detoxifies the body

-Aids in treating respiratory conditions such as asthma

Little Millet in diet:

The boiled grains can be mixed with vegetables for making salad, for adding crunch to your chapattis, muffins and breads. It can also be used in preparing baby food, as porridge or as a stuffing for paranthas or rolls.

Proso Millet

Proso millet, also known as white or hog millet, is a crop which has lowest water requirement for cultivation. It is gluten-free and has significant amounts of carbohydrates and fatty acids. It also contains essential vitamins and minerals like Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, Vitamin E, phosphorus, manganese, iron and potassium. It is high in essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine and methionine, making them a high-quality protein source.

Health Benefits:

-Beneficial for nervous system: Being high in lecithin, it helps in strengthening nervous system.

-Prevention of pellagra: Pellagra is a type if skin disease caused due to niacin deficiency, in which skin becomes scaly and rough and starts falling off. Proso millet helps prevention of pellagra.

-Rich source of calcium: Proso millet has high amount of calcium in absorbable form which is essential for bone growth and maintenance.

-Phosphorus: It is rich source of phosphorous which is essential for cell building and genetic replication in the body.

-Reduced risk of Diabetes: Being high in magnesium, it has been proved that regular consumption of millet can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, as it keeps a check on glucose and regulates insulin.

-Help prevents gallstones: The high content of insoluble fiber in the millet helps prevent gallstones and reduces the probbaility of excessive secretion of bile.

-Anti-ageing properties: It contains antioxidants which delay the ageing process. Anti-oxidants are substances which remove free radicals from your body.

-It has health benefits for postmenopausal women suffering from heart ailments like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any cardiovascular disease.

Proso millet in diet:

It can be added to several dishes, and can be consumed either in whole or cooked form. It can be used in salads, stir fried with vegetables and tofu, or can be eaten in breakfast with milk and honey.

(Bipasha Das is a certified health coach and nutritionist. She runs a diet and wellness clinic ‘Sugati’. She has been awarded Most Recommended Nutritionist of the Year 2018-19 by Brands Impact. She has worked with top hospitals, and is a life member of the Indian Dietetic Association and on the panels of renowned corporate houses like Ericsson, GE Power. Bipasha is working with Municipal Corporation of Delhi - Public Health Department( South Zone) as a consultant, and creating awareness programmes on Women and Children Health, Health for Public Health Workers, Office Sedentary Workers etc.

*Answers are based on general queries. Please contact a professional for any personal treatment.)