Review on Millets: A Sustainable Ancient Superfood for the Modern World

Abstract

Millets are frequently referred to as "superfoods" or "nutricereals" because of their high nutritional content, ability to withstand climatic change, and reduced resource requirements when compared to other common grains. Millets have historically been consumed in larger quantities and are beneficial to diets worldwide, but both their cultivation and consumption are drastically reducing. To provide food and nutrition security, resource sustainability, and economic development, millet may be essential. Therefore, it is imperative to develop strategies aimed at reversing the global trends of declining millet production and consumption and raising consumer knowledge of the dietary and health benefits of millets. For thousands of years, millets, a class of small-seeded, nutrient-rich grains have been an essential part of human existence, particularly in Asia and Africa. Pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, Indian barnyard millet, kodo millet, tiny millet, and proso millet are the millets that are produced most widely around the world, especially in India. In Ayurveda, millets are explained under the Dhanya Varga and are known by the names Trina Dhanya, Kudhanya, and Kshudra Dhanya in different Samhitas. Furthermore, millets have long been employed by indigenous people as an ethnomedical and hunger-reduction tool. Since millets are usually grown on degraded, nutrient-deficient soil with little rainfall, they are an extremely resilient crop. Instead millets are high in dietary fibre, proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other nutrients, they are a cure-all for a wide range of illnesses. Due to shifting agro-climatic conditions that have resulted in a decrease in the yield of major staple grains, millets have emerged as a viable solution to address current issues in agriculture, food security, and public health. Millets have demonstrated excellent nutritional makeup and great adaptability. In light of government and civil society initiatives to promote millet farming in India, this review paper offers a succinct overview of millets, emphasising their historical significance, use in folklore, cultivation techniques, health benefits, and potential to contribute to sustainable farming systems and food security. For this study paper, a thorough review of numerous literatures, journals, published papers, and books was conducted.