Food is essential for life, but 'good
food' help you to live healthier for longer. This is why most of us
try to focus on eating healthy rather then eating just any type of food
that come our way.
Due to this interest that
grew through the decades, quite a number of foods have come to the
limelight, each promising healthier, more nutritious and tastier
meal option then any before.out of these, none may have
been more controversial and more debated about then "finger
millet," which is scientifically known as Eleusine
coracana as a local name it, kuracan.
finger
millet belongs to a group of cereal which bearing smaller seeds then
either rice or wheat and well adapted to harsh environmental conditions
such as droughts and higher elevations.
It is consumed as the staple by people all over the
world especially in Africa and Asia.
Al thought it is
not the sri Lanka staples, from people
from ancient Ceylon(our ancestor-veddas) until this very
day consumed it knowing little about all its
nutritional benefits.
This crop needs minimal fertilizer or water to grow and seeds
be stored for years with out any insert, microbial or mold damage.
Interestingly, a large number of gains and as finger millet is
often inter-cropped with legumes such as peanut,cow-pea etc.
this cereal is a cheaper and highly affordable option for
even the poorer segment of a population.
when you consider the nutritional value of the
finger millet grain, it is well recognized for
its high content of minerals, vitamins,fiber and some beneficial
chemical compound
Nutritional
value of Finger Miller per 100 g
Protein 7.6 g
Fat 1.5 g
Carbohydrate 88 g
Calcium 370 mg
Vitamins - A: 0.48 mg
Thiamine (B 1): 0.33 mg
Riboflavin (B 2): 0.11 mg
Niacin: 1.2 mg
Fiber 3 g
It is also a rich source of
certain essential amino acid when compared with other starchy
food like cassava, polished rice, maize meal etc.
finger millet also
carry a large pool of minerals including iron, magnesium, phosphorous,
potassium, calcium and manganese and has the claim to highest
calcium content among most other food grains.
This high content of calcium helps
maintain healthy bones, free of fractures and other disorders.
In addition, the remarkable high
iron content in the grain exerts protection against anaemic condition.
it has
a considerably lower fat con tent compared to other
cereals. Due to its impressive ability to lower body
cholesterol level, certain cholesterol based disease
1 Heart disease
2 Obesity
3 stroke
Can be kept under control. most research findings
reveal that it is a good alternative to starchy food for
individuals suffering from diabetes This benefit is due to
the high content of fiber in finger millet.
the cereal also help its eater feel
full with mineral increase of blood sugar level
then when the same amount of rice and wheat is consumed. Hence, the
properties of blood sugar regulation shown by finger millet are not
to be underestimated or overlooked.
In-corporation of finger millet to the diet regularly will
also help shield the consumer against several other diseases including
high blood pressure, arthritis rheumatism,
stomach disorder heart disease and even cancer.
As revealed by different studies , one of
the chemical compound present in the finger millet grain called nitriloside, is
efficient in curing different cancers like breast, prostate, lung,
skin and colon cancer when used to pre from a therapy under the same
name as compound.
This therapy has the added benefit of
being free from harmful side-effect.
The ways of
preparations of finger millet various from region to region. it is
familiar for Sri Lankans in its grounded from
where it servers the purpose of beings lour that can be used to
prepare thlapa, bread, puddings, porridge and flat breads which include
rotti, chapatti.
Al thought not a familiar practices in sri lanka, a
most common conservation in other countries is the fermentation
of finger millet to make drink such as opaque beer and toddy
and these server as good source of energy and are highly
nutritious
The
nutritional value of the finger millet grain change with its preparation
method; milling removes nutrients to same extent with the removal of the
seed's outer parts while other cooking
practices such as
streaming,pressure-cooking,flaking,puffing or microwaving improves the
nutritional quality and digestibility of the grain .
It also
important to note that iron absorption levels in the body elevates after
consumption of the properly prepared finger millet porridge.
Coincidentally,there can be certain harmful or inferior substance present in
the grain which can effect good health unfavorably.
Most of
this harmful stuff is produced in the grain with microbial growth, spoilage and
the exposure to harsh environmental conditions. some of these
factors can even interfere with mineral absorption in the body.
however, the adverse effect mentioned are only
report in cases where the consumption of such as spoil t finger
millet is of bulk quantities
As a
whole, finger millet can be recognized as one of the most nutritive cereals
that appear on a menu and taking the conscious choice of incorporating it
into the day to day meals with proper processing will enable of
a healthier, longer and fuller life.
