Why in news
A recent study published in Nature Springer highlighted the nutritional differences between debranned (polished) and whole millets.
The study emphasizes the importance of consuming millets in their whole grain form to retain their health benefits, which can be lost when the bran is removed.
Importance of millets
Millets are highly nutritious, rich in minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium.
They are an excellent source of phyto-chemicals with health benefits, including anti-aging, anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerogenic, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, highlighting their nutritional and environmental importance.
Millets mentioned in the article
Foxtail millet : It is the second-most widely planted species of millet, and the most grown millet species in Asia
Little millet : The largest cultivation is in central India
Kodo millet : It is a very hardy crop that is drought tolerant and can survive on marginal soils where other crops may not survive
Barnyard millet (Japanese millet) - It is grown in areas where the land is unsuitable or the climate too cool for paddy rice cultivation.
Proso millet : The crop is notable both for its extremely short lifecycle, with some varieties producing grain only 60 days after planting, and its low water requirements
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