"Expecting? Millet's Nutritional Boost for a Healthy Pregnancy"

Take advantage of millet’s healthful benefits for both you and your unborn child to improve your prenatal diet. An option that is healthy for expectant mothers.

What are Millets?

The Latin word “Milum” (grain) is where the word “Millet” first appeared. They are commonly cultivated as cereal crops or grains for human consumption and as livestock feed for millions of farmers in resource-poor areas of the world, and they are essential to India’s ecological and economic security. “Coarse cereals” or “cereals of the poor” are other names for these millets. They have been grown for thousands of years, throughout the world.

Exceptional Benefits of Millets

In India’s rural areas in particular, millet has long been a staple diet. The dry climate of the Deccan Plateau in Southern India was ideal for millets, which were historically farmed as rain-fed crops.

Millets are perfect for cultivation in arid conditions since they can thrive in low-fertility soils and places with little rainfall. Millets can be harvested and have a brief growing season in as short as 60 days, which makes them a useful crop in places where the other crops might not flourish.

These poor men’s food grain are 3 to 5 times more nutritious than rice and wheat, and also gluten-free.

Types of Millets

1. Sorghum: It is a warm-season crop. It contains rich amount of iron, protein and fiber. It is also gluten-free.

2. Finger Millet: Also known as Ragi, carries highly nutritious values to add to your diet. Serving as a good source of protein, fiber, iron is also a gluten-free millet. It is a go-to food for lactating and pregnant women due to its good calcium content.

3. Pearl Millet: Called as Bajra, is a hardy crop. High in magnesium makes it an ideal food for respiratory illness. It’s rich in fiber content.

4. Kodo Millet: It’s a good source of protein, fiber, iron, calcium and potassium.

5. Proso Millet: Traditionally, it is used as a recuperative food. Especially post-pregnancy or illness.

6. Foxtail Millet: Due to its high magnesium content, it is renowned as a heart-healthy diet.

                                  Composition of minerals present in different types of millet (mg/100g)

Significance of Millet Consumption in pregnancy

Consuming a diet higher in nutrients and lower in empty calories to provide the extra energy required for the growing and active foetus, the placenta’s growth, and a healthy pregnancy is essential. The mother’s body grows larger and requires more labour to support the weight of the foetus and more mother tissues.

Sufficient amounts of protein are necessary for a healthy developing embryo because they supply the basic building blocks needed to make the enzymes, antibodies, muscle and collagen. Lipids are crucial for hormone development, formation of cell membranes and normal brain and eye function, especially during pregnancy and early years of child’s life.

Not only nursing put a strain on the mother’s limited calcium stores, but calcium is also necessary for the foetus’s teeth and bones to harden. Diet during pregnancy must include enough of fibre.

It lessens constipation, a common adverse effect of pregnancy. Hormonal changes in the mother’s body, decreased exercise and increased fluid consumption can all contribute to constipation and haemorrhoids during pregnancy.

Ragi – A magic millet does wonders. It contains high amount of calcium, protein with well-balanced essential amnio acids composition along with Vit A, Vit B & phosphorous. Pregnant and lactating women are advised to consumer Ragi as it helps increase the production of breast milk in the body.

Also being rich in folic acid, helps in brain development of the baby. Calcium present in it enhances the bone development of the child.

Foxtail Millet- It is the ultimate superfood for pregnant women. It is high in fiber, which can help support healthy digestion and prevents constipation, a common issue during pregnancy. It also serves a good source of iron and other essential minerals, as well as Vit B that are important for supporting the health of both the mother and growing baby.

Sorghum- It is rich in potassium and phosphorus and also rich in calcium with small amounts of iron and sodium. It has high levels of Zinc. Adding sorghum regularly in the meals of pregnant woman helps them attain requirements for minerals and vitamins in their diet.

Pearl Millet- It is gluten-free grain. It is packed with carbohydrates, essential amino acids, antioxidants, etc. It is rich in Vitamin B9 or folic acid. Folate is crucial for forming DNA & RNA and is key for producing RBC’s that helps accelerate the growth rate of the foetus.

Kodo Millet- It is a good source of vitamins and minerals and is high in fiber. It is low in fat and calories making it a healthy choice for pregnant women.

  Millet can be described as a good choice of consumption for pregnant women and this is simply because of the richness in the exact type of nutrients needed by pregnant women. Millet contains Iron, dietary fibre, calcium, zinc, proteins, lipids and these nutrients help women during their period of pregnancy. It is also important to understand that millet contains low fat and calories which is essential to avoid unnecessary weight gain, control heart related issues and even reduce high blood pressure and sugar levels. In my opinion, millets should be incorporated into the food consumption of every pregnant woman as it helps provide the necessary nutrients that help them throughout their pregnancy.

                                                                                             Casandra. O. Ayodele, Nutrition Coach

What does study say?

A study conducted in 2022 introducing millet-based foods to pregnant women to assess it’s impact on weight, haemoglobin and BMI yielded great results.

There was an improvement in the mean weight. Also, pregnant women who consumed millets showed significant improvement in the haemoglobin levels along with BMI.

Overall, the study conducted showed a positive result in the BMI and weight of these women. These improvements in weight and BMI are attributed to the energy dense formulation of millet-based foods.

Disclaimer

The blog post is informative about the general facts about the topic. But, as each and every body varies and their needs differ from one another, it is always advised to contact your diet doctor, family doctor, obstetrician and nutrition coach before following any of the above steps.

References

1. Nunn RL, Kehoe SH, Chopra H. Dietary micronutrient intakes among women of reproductive age in Mumbai slums Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019;73:1536–45

2.  International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and ICF. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), India. 2019-20. 2021 India. Mumbai IIPS http://rchiips.org/nfhs/factsheetNFHS-5.shtml

3. Khayat S, Fanaei H, Ghanbarzehi A. Minerals in pregnancy and lactation: a review article J Clin Diagnostic Res. 2017;11:EQ01–5