Millets: The sustainable ancient superfood for the modern world

Abstract

Millets are a category of small-seeded, nutrition-rich grains that have been integral to human subsistence for thousands of years, especially in Africa and Asia. The most extensively grown millets worldwide, notably in India, are pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, Indian barnyard millet, kodo millet, little millet, and proso millet. Millets are explicated under Dhanya Varga in Ayurveda and are referred to by the names Trina Dhanya, Kudhanya, and Kshudra Dhanya across various Samhita. Moreover, indigenous people have long used millets for ethnomedical purposes and prevention of hunger. Millets are a highly resilient crop since they are typically grown on degraded and nutrient-deficit soil receiving little rainfall. Millets are a panacea to various health disorders as they are rich in dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, etc. Millets have surfaced as a possible option to solve current difficulties in the field of agriculture, food security, and public health as there has been a decrease in the yield of main staple grains due to changing agro-climatic conditions for which millets have shown great adaptability with excellent nutritional makeup. This research paper provides a concise overview of millets, highlighting their historical significance, folklore use, cultivation practices, health benefits, their potential to contribute to sustainable farming systems, and food security with government and civil society efforts to encourage millet farming in India. Various Ayurveda literatures, journals, published articles, and books were comprehensively reviewed for this research paper.