Jowar (Sorghum) top 9 health benefits

Jowar is gaining popularity in recent times among fitness enthusiast. It can be consumed as a whole cereal or Flakes or ground into flour, the flour has a fine texture and soft feel. The flour is smooth and gooey as oatmeal but not heavy as wheat.

Local Names of Jowar in India: Great Millet / Sorghum (English), Juar (Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi), Jwari (Marathi), Jola (Kannada), Jonnalu (Telugu), Cholam (Tamil, Malyalam), Janha (Oriya).

Since it is a member of the millet family, jowar is gaining massive attention these days.

It is an ancient grain whose popularity was shadowed by wheat and rice. The revival of jowar is due to the shift in people’s mindset about consuming millet. From weight loss to improved heart health, jowar has a range of health benefits.

The wealth of nutrients in jowar makes this cereal as one of the most commonly used grains since times immemorial for its indispensable health benefits. Over the years this staple grain had lost somewhere in the era of urbanization and overdependence on refined and processed foods.

It is important for us to start relishing our traditional foods to reap its incredible nutrient profile.

Health Benefits of Jowar (Sorghum)

Rich, Bitter-y and fibrous in texture, this millet is grown abundantly across India but often loses out owing to the wheat fixation that runs in our country. Rich in protein iron and copper, this gluten free grain has been known to play a crucial role in cellular function and repair. The rich quantity of potassium and phosphorous helps lower cholesterol and manage high blood pressure. Most importantly, incredibly rich in fibre and hence should be part of your daily diet.

Gluten Free:

Jowar, a gluten-free whole grain, is considered an excellent alternative for people who suffer from ‘gluten intolerance’, the nutritional benefits are an added bonus.

Rich in fibre:

Compared to other cereal grains like barley or rice, jowar contains a much higher concentration of fibre. A single serving contains over 12 grams, which is almost half the recommended daily intake for fibre.  jowar is packed with good quality fibre which can help facilitate your digestion, manage obesity, regulate blood sugar levels and curb the risk of high blood pressure and strokes.

Helps in Weight Loss:

Fibre takes the longest time to digest, which helps induce a feeling of being full for a longer spell. This prevents you from bingeing into other fattening foods, thereby saving you quite a few unwanted calories.” Moreover, fibre stimulates your digestive system, which help you stay an optimal weight. Therefore, the fibre content in Jowar reduces your appetite, making it the ideal whole grain option for weight loss.

Packed with Vitamins, Minerals, and Micronutrients:

It contains B vitamins, which help the body build new tissues and cells and potassium and phosphorus. Additionally, Jowar contains traces of zinc, copper, and over 20 micronutrients and high levels of antioxidants.

Controls Blood Sugar Levels:

Jowar is a complex carbohydrate that digests slowly. As a result, it leads to stable blood sugar levels. Hence, it is a great diet choice for diabetics and people who want to lose weight.

Improves Heart Health:

The abundance of fibre in jowar helps lower LDL (or bad cholesterol) levels in the body, thus reducing the risk of a heart attack. The cholesterol-lowering properties of jowar also reduce the chances of hindered blood flow, arteriosclerosis and plaque formation.

The whole grain also contains antioxidants, apart from nutrients like magnesium, iron, and vitamins B and E. As a result, it helps avoid several cardiovascular conditions. Jowar also helps regulate plasma LDL cholesterol concentration while improving the HDL levels in the body.

Strengthens Bones:

Ample amount of magnesium in jowar assists in enhancing the calcium absorption which stimulates to keep up the calcium levels and augments bones health. Calcium and magnesium are two most important bone-friendly nutrients which assist in bone redevelopment and quickens the healing of the fractured and ageing bones. Regular addition of jowar millets in the elderly people diet plans can avert the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis.

Protein rich:

Jowar provides ample amount of protein required for cell regeneration. Along with proteins, Jowar is also a powerhouse of essential vitamins, antioxidants and minerals like Calcium, copper, zinc, Phosphorus, Potassium and cell-building B vitamins.

Improves Blood Flow:

Jowar is rich in both Iron and copper which play a vital role in increasing blood circulation. Iron increases RBC production, while Copper increases iron absorption.

These reduce the chances of Anaemia. One Serving of Jowar can give you about 58% of your daily recommended Copper intake.

How to add Jowar to your Diet ?

To get the most out of jowar nutrition, you can use it to make mouth-watering and Healthy recipes.

Jowar Flakes are the new and best way to add Jowar in your daily diet. Those are Plain Jowar Flakes from which you can make many recipes.

You can order from amazon.in or from ranmeva.com Free Home Delivery all over India.

Here are some suggestions:

• Jowar rotis, bhakris, parathas or any other flatbread.
• Jowar dosa.
• Jowar biscuits.
• Jowar appam.
• Jowar and chocolate cookies.
• Jowar banana cake.
• Jowar vadas.
• Jowar Halwa
• Jowar bread.
• Jowar tacos.
• Jowar Flakes Poha

And many more! (as far as your imagination goes). Do Experiment!