1. Protein Packed
As mentioned earlier, with each 100g of ragi serving, one can get around 7 grams of protein, making it a rich source of protein for the body. It is also a great alternative for vegetarians or ones who follow a vegan diet due to its protein-richness.
2. Great Source of Fibre
Ragi’s nutritional benefits include its high content of fibre, which directly affects your gut health and body mass. A high-fibre diet is known to be good for digestion, as it produces more gut-friendly bacteria and relieves you from problems like constipation and indigestion.
Similarly, ragi for weight loss is also highly beneficial. As it contains amino acids, ragi intake helps in reducing your appetite and keeping you full for a long time. Additionally, it also helps regulate your blood sugar levels by turning them into insulin, which means it saves you from the risk of diabetes.
3. Ragi Benefits for Hair
Strong hair is made up of Keratin protein, and consuming ragi benefits hair, as it helps strengthen your hair and prevents hair fall. A healthy amount of ragi consumption also prevents premature greying of hair, as it prevents the oxidation of hair tissues. So, it is advised to include ragi in your meals to have healthy and strong hair and head scalp.
4. Rich in Calcium
Calcium plays a crucial role in keeping bones strong and healthy. Although it is known that milk and egg intake do help in fulfilling the calcium needs of the body, ragi is also a great source of calcium.
The inclusion of ragi, along with other calcium-rich foods in your diet, reduces health risks like bone weakening, arthritis, tooth decay, and osteoporosis.
5. Gluten Free
Gluten is a protein type that is present in grains like wheat, barley, rye, etc. Unfortunately, several people suffer from the problem of gluten intolerance, which prevents them from consuming food that contains gluten, like wheat chapati, and bread.
However, these people can include ragi, which is naturally gluten-free, in their daily meals. Alternative dishes like ragi chapati, ragi dosa or ragi idli are gaining popularity lately. This way, they can incorporate a healthy gluten-free ingredient in their meal and still enjoy delicious dishes.
6. Ragi Malt Benefits for Skin
Having healthy-looking and blemish-free skin is everyone’s dream, but this can only be achieved if you give your body adequate nutrients to stay healthy. Eating ragi malt benefits the skin in many ways; the amino acids present in it help in collagen boost, making skin less wrinkly.
Moreover, it contains Vitamin E, which helps in the formation of new healthy skin and the healing of scar tissues. Applying ragi paste on your face and skin is the best way to keep your skin elastic, moisturised and healthy looking.
7. Helps in Preventing Cancer
Ragi contains fibre and several phytonutrients that help in preventing the risks of colon cancer. Moreover, the lignan present in ragi, after digestion, converts into mammalian lignan that protects women from breast cancer. Ragi is also known to promote tissue repair and wound healing, making ragi a superfood to keep yourself healthy.
8. Red Blood Cells Producer
Ragi is an excellent source of iron, which helps in the production of red blood cells and improves the percentage of haemoglobin in the body. Moreover, if you eat sprouted ragi, which has a healthy amount of Vitamin C, it helps in the absorption of iron better.
Hence, ragi is a good choice for preventing health problems like anaemia, especially for women who go through a menstrual cycle every month.
9. Prevents Cardiovascular Diseases
Ragi, being a superfood, has no cholesterol or sodium in it. Moreover, it is fibre-rich and has vitamin B3. This helps in producing good HDL cholesterol and eliminating bad LDL cholesterol. It is beneficial not only for people with heart ailments but also for everyone, as consuming ragi reduces deposits of cholesterol in the heart’s blood vessels.
10. Helps Healthy Child Growth
Packed with many vitamins and nutrients, ragi is a perfect food ingredient for growing children. The presence of zinc, iron, and magnesium in ragi helps in building healthy muscle mass and strong bones in young children. Parents can give ragi malt chapati or prepare delicious ragi recipes for their children to incorporate into their balanced diet.
11. Helps in Lactation
New mothers require immense care and a healthy diet. Including green ragi in their daily diets helps mothers enhance haemoglobin levels in their bodies, which helps in the production of breast milk.
The amino acids, iron and zinc present in green ragi help in increasing lactation in new mothers and also provide necessary nutrients to mother and child.
12. Provides Healthy Amino Acids
Ragi is rich in amino acids like methionine, valine, sulphur-based amino acids and isoleucine. All of these help in maintaining good immunity, healing tissues, maintaining healthy teeth, and protecting the skin barrier. With all these ragi health benefits, it is crucial to include it in your daily diet for better overall health.
13. Improves Mood
Including ragi in your diet and consuming it helps improve your mood over time. Finger millet benefits your nerve impulse conduction system and helps in serotonin production. It helps relieve you from anxiety, stress, and insomnia, providing relaxation to your mind and body.