Recalling millets as nutritional packet and health booster for 21st century

AbstractMillets, often termed as “nutri-cereals,” are experiencing a global resurgence due to their exceptional nutritional composition and multifaceted health benefits. Millets such as finger millet, pearl millet, foxtail millet, and little millet are nutritionally dense, offering an excellent source of dietary fiber, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds. This review explores their potential prospects as sustainable food systems and highlights their rich phytochemical profile, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins, which confer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-aging properties. Their role as prebiotics and probiotics further enhances gut health and immunity. The article also explores the traditional millet-based food cultures worldwide, emphasizing their cultural significance and adaptability. The therapeutic potential of millets in managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and celiac disease, alongside their role in inflammation modulation and ageing makes them an excellent choice as food as well as supplement. As climate-resilient crops, millets thrive under marginal conditions, offering food and nutritional security in the face of climate change. Recent national and international initiatives promoting millet cultivation and consumption, including the National Food Security Bill, are reviewed for their role in enhancing rural livelihoods, empowering women, and strengthening food systems. The article concludes by identifying future trends and research directions needed to mainstream millets as a cornerstone of sustainable nutrition and health security in the 21st century.