Diabetes mellitus has become a serious public health issue both in India and across the world. In recent years, improving diet diversity has been recognized as an important approach for its prevention and management. Traditional food systems, especially indigenous dietetics, provide valuable insights in this context. Millets, which have been a part of Indian diets for centuries, are gaining attention because they are culturally acceptable, rich in nutrients, and have a comparatively lower impact on blood sugar levels. This review focuses on how millets can help in managing diabetes, looking at their nutritional composition, effects on blood glucose, possible biological mechanisms, and how different processing methods may influence their benefits. It also considers their importance from a public health perspective. Evidence from several systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggests that millet-based diets usually have a lower glycemic index compared to refined rice and wheat. Regular consumption of millets has been linked to better control of fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels. However, the findings are not entirely consistent across all types of millets and study designs. Therefore, more well-designed, long-term clinical studies are needed before making specific dietary recommendations for diabetes management.
Pandey et al. (Tue,) studied this question.