Millets to Curb ‘Hidden Hunger’

Food is the most essential part of life. It helps in the growth of all. It provides all the necessary components for the proper functioning of the body. It helps in providing energy to do work. It also supports us to maintain health. Good eating habits help the intake of nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc. These nutrients are essential for everyone. As the population is increasing, the demand for food is increasing. To fulfill the need of such an enormous population the pressure is increasing on land. This is leading to the deficiency of important nutrients in the food crops hence creating malnutrition in a large part of the population. We are largely relying on staple food crops for our food needs.

We can use millet as an alternative to staple food crops whose nutrient content is depleting continuously. Millets actually refer to a number of small-seeded annual grasses that are cultivated as grain crops. They have the capability to grow even in dry areas. Examples of common millets are Ragi (Finger millet), Jowar (Sorghum), Sama (Little millet), Bajra (Pearl millet), and Variga (Proso millet).

India, China, and Nigeria are the largest producers of millet in the world. Millets are nutritionally superior and less expensive than wheat and rice. Millets have high protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals like iron. These are also rich in calcium and magnesium. Millets can help tackle lifestyle problems and health challenges such as obesity and diabetes as they are gluten-free and have a low glycemic index (a relative ranking of carbohydrates in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels). Millets require less water and can grow under drought conditions efficiently. So, switching towards millets can help to overcome ‘hidden hunger’ caused by the deficiency of important nutrients in human population.