Millets: A Nutritional Powerhouse With Anti-cancer Potential

Millets are important food crops widely grown by smallholder farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Millets are rich in protein, dietary fiber, micronutrients, and have a low glycemic index (GI) and desirable bioactive compounds. Due to their higher nutritional content, millets are popularly known as "nutricereals". Coinciding with the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization's declaration of 2023 as the "International Year of Millets," this review underscores the nutritional value of these grains from the Poaceae family. The consumption of nutricereals is associated with several health benefits including lowering of blood sugar levels (diabetes), controlling blood pressure, and providing protection against thyroid, cardiovascular, and cancer diseases. A review of the literature from PubMed and Google Scholar was done focusing on the health benefits and anti-cancer properties of different millets. Millets have a rich content of macronutrients like carbohydrates and proteins, as well as micronutrients and bioactive compounds, including dietary fibers, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals. This article explores millets' nutritional elements, i.e., macronutrients, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds, and provides insights into the types of carbohydrates present, the prebiotic function of dietary fibers, and millets' low GI. The study identified the mechanisms by which millets may deter cancer growth, focusing on the roles of dietary fibers, plant protease inhibitors, and bioactive peptides. Additionally, it compared the mineral and vitamin content of millets to other common grains, such as rice and wheat, and explored the potential health advantages of millets over other cereal crops. This review systematically investigated the health advantages of millets, particularly, their anti-cancer capabilities. Dietary fibers, plant protease inhibitors, and bioactive peptides present in millets have the capacity to induce apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation, and interact with gut microbiota leading to potential anti-cancer effects. This review also identified existing challenges in the bioavailability and effective delivery of millets' bioactive peptides, advocating for further research to maximize their health benefits.