Millet
Avoid Millet
Pennisetum glaucum
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana)
proso millet (Panicum miliaceum)
fonio millet (Digitaria exilis)
foxtail millet (Setaria italic)
Avoid millet on a gluten free diet or if one has thyroid disease. Millet is high in phytates, flavonoids and polyphenolic content. millets are concentrated sources of antinutrients including protease inhibitors (trypsin, chymotrypsin, alpha amylase and cysteine) and steroidal saponins.Protease inhibitors likely elicit adverse effects upon the pancreas when consumed as a staple foods, and saponins are known to increase intestinal permeability and may contribute to chronic low level systemic inflammation.
Because millet requires little water, highly drought resistant, it grows well in arid and semi arid regions of the world such as in countries surrounding the Sahara desert in Africa and in dry areas in India and Asia. In Sudan millet consumption is the primary source of food. The goiter incidence is 75% higher.
Millet is an antinutrient laden food. Regular consumption may cause multiple dietary deficiencies and nutrient related diseases, including impairment of iodine metabolism and risk for goiter.
Calcium, along with iron and zinc that may be present in millets are actually poorly absorbed in our bodies because phytates, tannins and other compounds prevent their assimilation.
