At a global scale, agricultural output is increasingly homogeneous. Fewer than 30 plant species account for more than 95% of humankind’s food needs and just three major grains - wheat, maize and rice, are the main source of our food supply.

A 100 years ago people in India consumed food from more than 7000 species of plants including a variety of millet grains. At present we hardly consume food from 30 plant species. It has been recorded that there were 23,000 varieties of rice grown in India alone. At present there are only a handful left. We have lost much of bio-diversity to hybridisation and monoculture farming activities.

Millet grains are one of those FORGOTTEN FOODS that we have lost touch with. A variety of Millets were grown abundantly in India until a 100 years ago which has been recorded and documented too.

The cultivation of Millets (locally known as Siridhanya/ Siridhanyagalu/ Siridhanyalu/ Sirithenaigal) and their incorporation into the diets of humans and livestock have a number of potential benefits, including:

- Access to better nutrition through millet based and other ancient forgotten foods. Millets have multiple health benefits including sugar control since they are low GI grains.

- They offer a solution to climate change. Millets are drought and flood tolerant and can grow in varied climatic conditions. It is a species of grass and can grow as easily as grass does.

- Improved food security by reducing our dependency on only major crops for food. Optimizing land resources by cultivating soils that are unsuitable for the world's major crops

- Diversifying income generating opportunities for small scale farmers.

So, do you need more reasons to be part of reviving these wonder millet grains and bring them back to your diet?

Yes, Forgotten Millet grains have amazing health benefits if consumed regularly in your diet.

Millet whole grains are low in GI and rich in fibre content which helps in digestion and keeps the gut healthy. Millets are also naturally gluten free grains.

Each millet is known to have a special benefit for your health.

Little millet is known for its abilities to heal PCOD, uterus, menstural disorders in women and increasing sperm count in men.

Foxtail millet grains are known to heal gastric and intestine related issues.

Kodo millets are known to heal nervous related problems.

Barnyard millet is very good for detox and is also known as vrat ka chawal and is used as a fasting food in many parts of India. During fasting, people survive by eating just one meal a day made from Barnyard millet grain.

Ragi or Finger millet is very good for babies since they are very easy to digest and are high in Calcium which helps babies in development of bones.

Gluten is a complex protein made up of glutenin and gliadin molecules, which in the presence of water form an elastic bond. Gluten can be found in grains including wheat, rye, barley and oats. 

Gluten can also hide in processed foods under a variety of names, including malts, starches, hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP), texturized vegetable protein (TVP) and natural flavouring.

Gluten-containing grains have been linked to more than 200 adverse health effects, with 20 adverse modes of toxicity, including neurotoxicity.

According to Dr.Alessio Fasano, director for Celiac research and chief of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at Massachusetts general hospital, gluten sensitivity may be far more prevalent than previously suspected. He estimates virtually all of us are affected to some degree, because we all create something called zonulin in the intestine in response to gluten.

Zonulin makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your blood stream. This may cause inflammation.

Diarrhea or constipation, bloating, headache, anxiety and fatigue may be common symptoms of gluten intolerance.

Studies are now confirming that many people do indeed experience adverse reactions to gluten even if they test negative for celiac disease.  This suggests gluten-sensitivity is a real problem, and that gluten-free diets may benefit all — not just those with celiac.

Most of the ancient forgotten foods are gluten free except for few varieties of wheat and rice.

Take a breath.. All the millet varieties are naturally gluten free.

Wheat is one of the most widely grown crops in the world. But the wheat of today is vastly different from the wheat our ancestors grew and ate, and these differences help explain the rise in gluten intolerance:

Hybridization has increased the proportion of gluten protein in wheat. Until the 19th century, wheat was also typically mixed with other grains, beans and nuts. Pure wheat flour has been milled into refined white flour only during the last 200 years. The resulting high-gluten, refined grain diet most of you have eaten since infancy was simply not part of the diet of previous generations.

Glyphosate contamination may also play a distinct role in the development of celiac disease, wheat allergies and wheat sensitivity. The use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup, has dramatically risen over the past 20 years. Most of the modern day farmers spray the chemical Roundup to grow their wheat crops.

Wheat proteins may cause leaky gut and associated problems. Glutinous proteins called prolamines may increase the permeability of your intestinal tract, thereby sensitizing your system.

The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

It is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of a specific food depends primarily on the quantity and type of carbohydrate it contains; but also is affected by the amount of entrapment of the carbohydrate molecules within the food, the fat and protein content of the food, the amount of organic acids (or their salts) in the food, and whether it is cooked and, if so, how it is cooked. GI tables are available that list many types of foods with their GIs. A food is considered to have a low GI if it is 55 or less; high GI if 70 or more; and mid-range GI if 56 to 69.

High GI foods

Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating. High GI foods include:

- sugar and sugary foods
- sugary soft drinks
-white bread
-potatoes
-white rice
-wheat

Low and medium GI foods

Low or medium GI foods are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time. They include:

-wholegrain foods, such as millets, oats
-some fruit and vegetables 
-pulses

If you have diabetes, it's useful to understand the glycaemic index, because eating foods with low GI ratings can help control blood glucose levels.

Foods with low GI release glucose in a steady manner to the body's blood stream and do not cause spikes in blood sugar levels.