ECONOMIC MILLET PRODUCTION, FUNCTIONAL FOOD AND HEALTH BENEFIT

Millets is an alternative cereal. Functional food, rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and energy. Millet is a highly nutritious and climate-adapted crop. Although millet food products are known for their nutritional value, consumer awareness is low, especially regarding their nutritional and therapeutic benefits. Millet does not contain gluten, making it a useful grain in the diet of people with celiac disease. Millet is a rich source of fiber, nutrients, minerals, B-complex vitamins and phytochemicals such as polyphenols, lignans, phytosterols, phytoestrogens, and phytocyanins. High fibre content and the presence of some anti-nutritional factors such as phytate and tannin in millet affect the bioavailability of minerals. The economic and health benefits of millet are explained in detail in this study. The production of millet in the world is showing an increasing trend. The world area of millet in 2023 was 31.3 million ha, with a yield of about 1.0 t ha-1 and a total production of 31.6 million tons. Millet has numerous health benefits. Millet phytochemicals: polyphenols, lignans, phytosterols, phytoestrogen, phytocyanin, act as antioxidants, immunomodulators, detoxifiers, etc. and therefore protect against degenerative diseases associated with aging, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, cancer, etc. Consuming millet can help reduce liver disease.