Based on research from 11 countries, the study published in Frontiers in nutrition shows that people with diabetes who consumed millet as part of their daily diet saw their blood sugar levels drop by 12 to 15% (on an empty stomach). and after meals), and blood sugar decreased from diabetic to prediabetic level. HbA1c (hemoglobin-related blood sugar) levels fell by an average of 17% in people with prediabetes and went from a prediabetic state to a normal state. These results confirm that eating millet can lead to a better blood sugar response.
The authors reviewed 80 published human studies, 65 of which were eligible for a meta-analysis involving approximately 1,000 human subjects, making this analysis the largest systematic review to date. “No one knew there were so many scientific studies being done on the effect of millet on diabetes and its benefits were often disputed. This systematic review of studies published in scientific journals proved that millet can control blood sugar and reduce the risk of diabetes. It also showed how much this food feels good, ”said Dr. S. Anitha, lead author of the study and Senior Nutrition Scientist at the International Crops Research Institute of the Semi-Arid Tropics. , ICRISAT.
Millet, like sorghum, was consumed as a staple grain in many parts of the world until half a century ago. Investments in a few crops such as rice, wheat, and corn have pushed nutritious and climate-smart crops, such as millet, off the plate. .
“Awareness of this ancient grain is just starting to spread globally, and our study shows that millet has a promising role in the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes. In this larger review and analysis of researching different types of millet compared to other grains such as refined rice, corn and wheat, we found that millet outperforms these comparison crops with lower glycemic index and lower blood glucose in the participants, ”observed Professor Ian Givens, study co-author and Director of the Food, Nutrition and Health Institute (IFNH) at the University of Reading in the UK.
According to the International Diabetes Association, diabetes is on the rise in all regions of the world. India, China and the United States have the highest number of people with diabetes. Africa has the largest expected increase of 143% from 2019 to 2045, the Middle East and North Africa 96% and Southeast Asia 74%. The authors advocate a better diversification of the diet with staples like millet in order to keep diabetes under control, especially in Asia and Africa.
Strengthening the case for reintroducing millet as a staple food, the study found that millet has an average low glycemic index (GI) of 52.7, about 36% lower than milled rice and refined wheat. , and about 14 to 37 points lower than that of corn. The 11 types of millet studied could be defined as having low (55) or medium (55-69) GIs, with GI being an indicator of the amount and time of increase in blood sugar levels by a food. The review concluded that even after boiling, baking, and steaming (the most common methods of cooking grains), millet had a lower GI than rice, wheat, and corn. .
“Millet is cultivated on every inhabited continent but it remains a 'forgotten food'. We hope that will change from 2023, when the world celebrates the International Year of Millet declared by the United Nations, and with studies like this showing that millet outperforms white rice, corn and wheat ” said Ms. Rosemary Botha, study co-author, based in Malawi at the time of the study, with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
“The global health crisis that co-exists with undernutrition and over-nutrition is a sign that our food systems need to be repaired. Greater diversity both on the farm and on the plate is the key to transforming food systems. Diversity on the farm is a mitigation strategy.
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