Little Millet, also known as Kutki in Hindi, is a small, light yellow-colored millet variety that originated in India. It is grown throughout India and is similar to other small millets such as Proso, Kodo and Finger.
It is regarded as nutritionally superior to rice, wheat, and other grains. However, many people are not familiar with the little millet and the health benefits.
It is packed with protein, fiber, calcium, essential minerals and vitamins. Moreover, it is low in calories and easy to digest, making it an excellent choice for those looking for a healthy, nutritious grain to include in their diet.
There’s no denying that this grain is nature’s perfect superfood, which is why I’ve put together a list of 10 nutrition-based health benefits of little millet for you.
After reading these benefits, you will undoubtedly consider including little millet in your diet.
But first, let’s take a look at what it has to offer in terms of nutrition.
Also read: 9 Solid Reasons To Choose Millet Over Rice
Nutrition value of Little millet
When it comes to nutrition, little millet outperforms many other grains in the industry. It is an excellent source of protein, fiber and iron. Moreover, It has a higher thiamin content than other millet varieties.
A 100 grams serving of little millet contains:
- Calories: 329
- Protein: 7.7 grams
- Fiber: 7.6 grams
- Fat: 4.7 grams
- Carbs: 67 grams
- Calcium: 17 mg
- Phosphorus: 220 mg
- Iron: 9.3 grams
- Zinc: 1.8 mg
- Magnesium : 91 mg
- It also contains a good amount of thiamin and niacin.
With being high in essential nutrients, little millet has a lot of scope in combating nutritional disorders and ensuring adequate nutrition for society.
10 Health Benefits Of Little Millet
High in protein
When it comes to eating healthy, the majority of people emphasize protein.
For people looking to add more protein to their diet, little millet can be a good option. It has a high protein content than rice and corn, providing about 15% of the daily value for sedentary men and women.
Protein plays an essential role in the body, such as supporting bone health, digesting food, and hormone regulation.
Furthermore, because protein is essential for growth, including a small amount of little millet in your child’s daily diet can help them grow more effectively.
Promote healthy digestion
Little millet is a good source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, providing more than 30% of the daily value.
Dietary fiber is an essential component of any diet. It aids in the smooth movement of food through the digestive system and keeps you regular, resulting in improved digestion.
If you frequently suffer from the problem of constipation and loose watery stools, adding little millet to your diet can do wonders. It is easy to digest and can help you maintain your bowel health and further reduce your risk of color cancer.
Packed with antioxidants
Whether it’s about little millet or any other millet variety, all serve as a natural source of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are substances that scavenge harmful toxins called free radicals in the body. Free radicals can damage cells, leading to a number of health problems. Antioxidants help protect the cells from the damage caused by these harmful toxins.
Little millet is a good source of antioxidants such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans and phytosterols, all of which play a crucial role in maintaining your overall health.
Prevents anemia
Anemia is a common condition that affects many people around the world. It is caused by a deficiency of Iron in your body resulting in fatigue, shortness of breath, and other health problems.
The good news is that little millet is a good source of iron, providing more than 100% of the daily value for men and 60% for women. In fact, little millet has more iron than many other common grains like rice, quinoa, oats, barley, and rye, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to boost their blood production.
Adding little millet to your daily diet can help you prevent anemia and other iron deficiency related problems.
Control diabetes
Due to high levels of fiber and non-starchy polysaccharides, little millet is the ideal diet choice for people with diabetes. Although it won’t cure your diabetes, but it will help you to control it.
Little millet also has a low glycemic index, which won’t raise your blood sugar levels after eating.
Furthermore, little millet is low in fat and a good source of other nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc, which can benefit people with diabetes to some extent.
Lower bad cholesterol
There is a lot of cholesterol-lowering advice out there, but one of the best and most natural ways to do it is by incorporating millets into your diet.
According to studies, adding 1 cup of millet to your daily diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by combating cholesterol and triglycerides levels.
Also, little millet contains a good amount of niacin, which studies say can boost your good cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides.
Also read: 9 Simple Yet Most Effective Ways To reduce Cholesterol
Gluten-free
Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. For people with celiac disease, gluten can cause serious health problems.
The good news is little millet is a great natural, gluten-free alternative to these grains.
Little millet is an excellent energy source and is ideal for gluten-sensitive people who have celiac disease.
Support Weight loss
The popularity of weight-loss diets is on the rise. People are looking for ways to reduce weight without compromising on nutrients, which is where millets come.
Being a good source of protein, fiber and low in fat, little millet is an excellent food to add to your weight loss diet. You can eat it as a rice replacement.
Furthermore, it falls into low GI foods, which don’t stimulate food cravings hormones and prevent you from eating unnecessarily.
Boost immune system
Well, After the hit of one of the giant viruses of the decade, everyone is looking to boost their immune system. There has been a sudden increase of products around immune boosting.
But what makes little millet ideal for boosting your immune system?
The high antioxidants present in little millet make it an ideal choice for boosting your immune system. Antioxidants protect the body from harmful toxins and pollutants, which can damage cells and lead to serious health problems.
Furthermore, little Millet is a good source of protein, iron, zinc and vitamins, which all helps to boost your digestive system.
Lower blood pressure
Little millet is a high source of magnesium, which studies suggest can benefit people with high blood pressure.
A 100 grams serving of little millet provides more than 20% of the daily magnesium needed.
Furthermore, magnesium is important to ease menstrual cramps. So, If you are one of the many women who suffer from menstrual cramps, consider trying adding little millet to your diet. It may just provide the relief you need.
Possible side effects of Little millet
Although there are no severe side effects of consuming little millet, if you eat it in excess, it may lead to some problems.
- Excessive consumption of little millet may interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland.
- Little millet is high in fiber. Eating more than recommended amount may lead to constipation or other digestive problems.
- Millets contain anti-nutrients like phytic acid, tannins, and polyphenols, which reduce the bioavailability of minerals like iron and zinc.
- Including little millet in a moderate amount with other foods in your diet is the possible way to get the benefits it offers.
Final words
Including little millet in your diet is a great way to improve your health in a variety of ways.
These 10 health benefits are just a few of the many reasons to start adding little millet to your meals.
Remember to keep your little millet portion in the limit, and be sure to give it a try!
If you found this information helpful, please share it with others and encourage them to include a small amount of millet in their diet as well.
Here are a few other articles related to millets:
- 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Foxtail Millet
- Kodo Millet Benefits: 7 Reasons To Eat This Powerful Grain
- Proso Millet Benefits: 7 Reasons To Eat This Superfood
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can include little millet daily in your diet. Use it as an alternative to rice but make sure not to eat a lot of it.
Proso and foxtail millet have the highest protein of all the millets.
No, you cannot include little millet in the keto diet as it is high in carbohydrates, and the keto diet involves only low carbohydrates and high-fat foods.
Yes, soaking little millet or any other millet is important as it ensures that you break down the phytic acid in them. Always soak the millets for atleast 5 to 6 hours before cooking.
