Millets: Nutritional potential and Utilization

Abstract

Millets are the world's sixth largest grain producer in Africa and Asia, these are rarely used cereals play a major role in the food security of millions of people. In addition to being rich source of nutrients, millet grain contains a lot of phytochemicals, especially lypheno-lic compounds. This review focuses on its history, consumption, types and several other uses of different types of millets. A wide variety exists in the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of millet grains. In addition, millet grain phenolics, available, has biological properties that are resistant to several pathophysiological conditions and can act as natural sources of antioxidants in food and biological systems.