Nutritional and Nutraceutical Advantages of Small Millets and Their Role in Prevention of Life Style Disorders

Abstract

Millets in general and the small millets in particular, consumed in whole form with its botanical parts such as endosperm, bran and germ, are rich in nutrients and phyto-nutrients. Important cultivated small millets are finger millet, little millet, kodo millet, foxtail millet, barnyard millet and proso millet. Each millet is unique in their content of nutrients and phyto-components with health beneficial effects or nutraceuticals. Bioactive components in the millet include- phenolic acids, flavonoids, phytosterols, tocopherols, carotenoids, small peptides, dietary fibre, etc. These components as well as small millet fractions can influence the biochemical and molecular pathways in metabolic syndrome and play key role in prevention of life style disorders.