Benefits of Bajra

Bajra is also known as pearl millet and is grown in areas with a dry, hot climate. This crop is considered a staple in the Rajasthan as well as adjoining regions and is the fourth most popular crop used within the country. Experts haven’t found bajra mentioned in Ayurvedic texts but believe that the plant is native to Africa. In addition to cultivation in the Indian regions of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bhuj, bajra is also cultivated in Arab and African countries. This plant is typically found in rural areas and can grow up to ten feet tall. To take advantage of the bajra benefits, you will first need to be aware of them. Then you can follow a simple recipe to prepare bajra roti and include this nutritious grain in your daily diet.

Bajra Benefits

Throughout the years, bajra has fallen out of popularity in some areas, particularly urban environments. There are, however, numerous bajra benefits associated with consuming this nutritious food item, making it a delicious addition to any diet.

1

Energy Source

Consuming bajra or foods containing it will provide you with a great deal of energy because this food mostly consists of starch. The body requires more time to break down starch, enabling bajra to provide energy for a long period of time and keep you full longer.

When you eat a single bajra roti, your body will get three different types of B vitamins: B6, niacin, and thiamin. Each of these is a coenzyme, which means that they are required for other enzymes to function properly. As such, these B vitamins are responsible for metabolizing fatty acids, proteins, and carbohydrates and converting them to energy.

Additionally, vitamin B6 will help produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for regulating sleep cycles, appetite, and mood. The bajra roti benefits in a single piece will give you 8 percent of your daily recommended value of vitamin B6 along with 10 percent for each niacin and thiamine.

2

Heart Health

Another of the bajra benefits is its niacin content, a vitamin which prevents heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. Additionally, bajra contains potassium and magnesium, both of which help regulate blood pressure. There is also an abundance of lignin, a phytonutrient experts think may lower your risk of having a cardiac arrest.

3

Digestive Help

Because bajra contains a great deal of insoluble fiber, it assists with stool formation and digestion. The fiber providing these bajra roti benefits allows feces to travel through the colon more quickly, preventing constipation. It additionally reduces the body’s bile acid secretion, reducing the risk of gallstones.

In addition, bajra contains essential amino acids found in protein molecules. These amino acids are readily available and easier for the body to digest than wheat grain.

4

Cancer Prevention

Multiple studies have shown that bajra may protect you from cancer. In fact, one of these studies demonstrated that regularly consuming products with bajra can help prevent the development of breast cancer in premenopausal women. Experts believe this may be due to the presence of lignin in bajra.

5

Other Bajra Benefits

• Millets like bajra also contain phosphorus, which plays a significant role in body cell structuring. Phosphorus is also a key component of some important compounds such as ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and a component that makes up the nucleic acids that form your genetic code.
• Bajra roti contains about 9 percent of the magnesium you need to consume on a daily basis. Magnesium is essential for building bones, normal nerve and muscle function, and synthesis of antioxidants, protein, DNA, and energy. By consuming 420 mg of magnesium daily for men and 320 mg for women, you may reduce your chances of diabetes and high blood pressure.
• In addition to reducing the risk of developing diabetes among healthy people, one of the bajra benefits is increasing insulin sensitivity, which makes it an ideal choice for diabetics.
• Complex carbs, calories, and protein: A typical bajra roti will contain around a quarter cup of millet (or bajra) flour. Each of these flatbreads has 111 calories plus 22 grams of carbs. As the recommended dietary amount of carbs is 130 grams daily, bajra roti will give you 17 percent of your daily needs for this. Almost all of the carbs in this food are starches, a type of complex carbohydrate that is digested slowly. If you consume 2,000 calories a day, you will get 6 percent of your daily intake for protein in one bajra roti.

Recommended Way to Prepare Bajra

An easy way to get all of the benefits of bajra is to make your own bajra roti at home. This recipe requires 5 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes for cooking and will let you make 8 rotis.

What you need: To complete the recipe, you will need salt to taste, ¼ cup of whole wheat flour (or gehun ka atta), and 2 cups of bajra (i.e. black millet) flour.

Directions:

• ŸStart by mixing your wheat flour, bajra flour, and salt. Then add hot water until you create soft dough.
• Separate your dough so it is in 8 portions that are about equal. Roll each of these 8 portions out so they are in the shape of thin rotis measuring about 6 inches across. Dust each roti using dry bajra flour as this will make them easier to roll.
• Place your rotis on top of a hot griddle (tava) until both sides have turned light brown. Take some melted ghee and brush it on one side of your bajra roti and then serve immediately while the food is still hot.