Millets: The Ancient Grain for Modern Health

Millets are a family of small-seeded grasses that have been farmed for thousands of years, making them among the oldest crops that humans have ever grown. While millets have long been consumed around the world, especially in Asia and Africa, they have recently attracted a lot of interest because of their outstanding nutritional profile and many health advantages. Sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet are a few of the many varieties of millets. They are well known for being tolerant of low soil quality, needing little water, and being resilient to harsh environmental conditions. A sustainable way to lessen the negative effects of environmental stresses on agriculture is through the development of millets, as climate change poses a rising danger to the world's food security. Moreover, because millets need less resources to cultivate than traditional cereal crops like wheat and rice, including them in the diet can help promote sustainable agricultural practices. Communities may improve food security, protect agro-biodiversity, and build climate change resistance by expanding their food production and encouraging the growth of native crops like millets. The broad inclusion of millets in contemporary diets is confronted with several obstacles, nevertheless its nutritional worth and cultural importance. This chapter examines the obstacles that millets face when attempting to become a part of modern food systems and suggests ways to get beyond them. This abstract delves into the historical roots of millet and examines its recent comeback as a mainstay in contemporary diets.