Millets as Future Grains: Need of Judicious Approach

Objective:The objective of this study is to evaluate the nutritional and health-enhancing effects of millets, traditional cereal crops in India, while also considering their potential drawbacks such as “anti-nutritional factors.” Millets have an abundance of nutritional and health-enhancing effects but also have some undesirable components. These are known as antinutritional factors, and their presence in millets might hamper the assimilation and absorption of the nutrients in the human body. In Ayurveda, millets are considered small sized (Kshudra Dhanya) and inferior among grains (Kudhanya). To combat these anti-nutritional and the effects of Rasa, Guna, Veerya, and Vipaka, an attempt has been made to concise solutions for the judicial use of millets through various Ayurveda and modern principles.Data Source:Screening of the available published literature through online search has been performed. In addition, to find unpublished information, a manual search was done in Ayurveda classical texts and college libraries.Review Methods:Millets are abundant in antioxidants, dietary fibers, polyphenols, phytochemicals, minerals, and proteins and are considered to be wholesome (Pathya) in specific disease conditions but also have some antinutritional properties. To combat these problems, certain rules and regulations of Ayurvedic dietetics termed Ahara Vidhi Vidhan and processing methods such as germinating and dehulling should be followed.Conclusion:In a nutshell, millets have numerous nutritional and pharmacological properties but their impetuous use should be avoided. Moreover, millets were the first crops, and their rational use by following principles mentioned in Ayurveda classics can make them the future crops as well.