Monday 22 February 2021

Benefits of Ragi: A super grain

 

Kritika Singh is a beauty and skincare lover. To give wings to her love for the same she blogs at ApunKaChoice.com, an entertainment and lifestyle blog dedicated to keeping you entertained as you take care of your health, skin, and hair. When not blogging, you would see her hopping cafes and sipping a cuppa.

Benefits of Ragi

Ancient grains are in the spotlight because of their health benefits. Once, they were staples in the Indian traditional diet, but rice took over after the 1950s, and these grains got pushed to the background. Ragi is one such superfood that has come back. Known as finger millet, it is a rich source of good carbs and is usually consumed in its pure or crushed form. It has high nutritional value because of which it is at the top of food grains. As it is gluten-free, it is suitable for consumption by those who are lactose and gluten intolerant.

It is a staple food in South India, especially Karnataka. Despite its nutritive value, this grain still remains absent from diets except in South India. If you are unaware of the health benefits of Ragi, then you should read on to know more about this superfood.

6 Health Benefits of Ragi

1. Helps Control Diabetes – Ragi’s seed coat is rich in dietary fibers and polyphenols compared to wheat, maize, or rice. It has a low glycemic index that not only reduces food cravings but it also maintains digestive pace. As a result, blood sugar levels remain in control and in a safe range. Nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood, who is based in Bangalore, recommends including ragi for breakfast or lunch for an all-day-fit-gut.

2. Rich in Calcium – Ragi flour is one of the best sources of Calcium compared to other grain. Calcium is essential for strong bones and good teeth. Optimum quantities of Calcium keep osteoporosis away. 50 gms of Ragi has 172 mg of Calcium.

3. Reverses Skin Aging – This ancient grain contains essential amino acids such as Lysine and methionine, which prevent sagging, fine lines and wrinkles. It contains naturally occurring Vitamin D, the sun vitamin, essential for the absorption of Calcium, and Niacin, vitamin B3, essential for healthy skin.

4. Improves Haemoglobin – Ragi is rich in natural iron and is excellent for those suffering from anaemia. The grain is rich in Thiamine or vitamin B1, which helps the body produce red blood cells. It also helps in the formation of ATP, used by the body for energy. Ragi sprouts have increased levels of vitamin C and help iron to be easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Ragi muddle or ragi dosa is an excellent breakfast or lunch which helps diabetics, anaemias and those with bone problems.

5. Helps Weight Loss – The high quantity of dietary fiber in ragi keeps you full for longer. Benefits of ragi for weight loss are amazing. When you don’t feel hungry, you eat less and hence lose weight. Ragi activates insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels. But it is best had in the morning or lunch so that it keeps you full for a long time. You can have a light dinner, and this will keep up your diet. 

6. Relaxing Body – Including ragi in your regular diet helps deal with insomnia, depression, and anxiety because of the presence of antioxidants in the grain. It contains amino acids and tryptophan, which have the properties of natural relaxants. Consuming ragi has also proved to be beneficial in migraines, as study reports.

Ragi, whether eaten as whole grain or in the form of flour, is rich in proteins, high fiber, antioxidants, magnesium, iron and Calcium. This nutrition-dense and fiber-dense ancient grain provide a multitude of benefits. Apart from the above-mentioned benefits, it is good for the heart, as it is a rich source of magnesium. It is also good for toddlers and children as it keeps their tummies full and provides them with energy.

Conclusion

There are a lot of dishes that you can cook with ragi. These include ragi balls with vegetables or meat, ragi dosa, ragi chapati, ragi-quinoa pancakes and so much more. 144g of Ragi flour contains 10.5 gm protein, 1.87 gm fat and 103 gm of carbs. It has 472 calories and provides a lot of energy.

All said and done, studies are still being conducted to compare the effect that different forms of ragi have on different people with and without medical ailments, especially diabetes.

#Blogaberry This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and generously SPONSORED BY Bugshield Clothing – Don’t be Bugged!

26 comments:

  1. oh yes. Ragi is super healthy. Recently, I got to interview n nutritionist and I asked her which one food you would like to suggest that we all should include in our diets. And here answer was Ragi.

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  2. I didn't know these things about Ragi! Thanks for helping me learn!

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  3. Raagi is natural antidepressant, consuming ragi on daily basis helps in dealing with conditions like insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Also the amino acids present in ragi work as a natural relaxant. Ragi could also be very beneficial for people with regular migraine attacks.

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  4. That’s very interesting and informative. I have been trying to add ragi to my diet.
    Thanks

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  5. Raggi and weight loss.. This strike me. Yes, I used to have it few years back. But some how rice took over it. Thanks for the detailed info

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  6. Raggi has enormous benefit and you have listed almost everything. I remember giving raggi to my kids in their childhood.

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  7. Thanks for sharing this information about Ragi. I somehow never had it but now I plan to make Ragi dosa for sure.

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  8. Ragi is truly a super grain , and still very undervalued here. Thanks for listing out so much helpful information about it.

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  9. Oh yes. Ragi is quite popular in the south. We make dosas, upma, rotti, umbli (porridge) & mudde (ragi balls). Of course it has become popular in the recent times because of the millet revolution. It is very filling and so is a staple food in the rural areas as well where farmers work in the fields all day and need energy for tilling.

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  10. Didn't know the reversing skin aging part. Interesting. Thanks for sharing

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  11. Wow!! This sounds like a wonder grain too :) thanks for sharing!!

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  12. Ragi is super healthy and I have even made Ragi cake, not bad at all :) Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Manisha - I use very less of Ragi as I am not aware of many recipes however the benefits precede for sure, need to increase the intake.

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  14. Oh Yes, Ragi is the Super Rich food and we always include it in our food. Thanks for sharing the detailed article

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  15. Ragi is a super food with so many benefits. My doctor had asked me to include it in my diet for the calcium. We need to include more such grains in our diet.

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  16. I used to give ragi pudding to my kids when they were babies. I have to restart in into their diet again !
    Shahira

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  17. Our food items are rich in super foods. It is great that people are finally re-discovering them instead of considering them a poor man's grain.

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  18. No doubt Ragi is super Healthy food. Good for babies too. I am not surprised to read so many benefits ragi provides.

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  19. That's a lot of good stuff that ragi offers... I am gonna have more of it

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  20. Yes we have started mixing ragi atta in our normal atta for adding the nutritional value . Quite informative post .


    https://momcaptureslife.com

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  21. I always include ragi for my son in breakfast. The iron content is essential for both kids and adults. Indeed a super grain

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  22. Our food items are rich in super foods. It is great that people are finally re-discovering them instead of considering them a poor man's grain.

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  23. The benefits of Ragi are immense... I dont know but i it helps in loosing weight.

    May be it also depends on the way we consumer. I generally make Ragi Porridge for my children with sugar may be thats why they gain weight...

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  24. Definitely a superfood Ragi is. And this was the first solid I gave my children

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  25. Ragi is a superfood and we consume a lot of ragi at home. Even I have written the importance of ragi in one's diet on my blog. Also, since I am a lactating mom, I consume a lot of ragi chapatis, dosas, ragi milk kanji, ragi mudde, etc.

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  26. Thanks for the article. I will try to add this grain to my diet. Do share some way easy recipes too

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