Last Updated on July 31, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Do you think whether bajra roti can lower sugar levels or not? Blow away all your worries as this article clarifies it all.
Eating bajra fetches countless advantages. This wonderful whole grain can cure anemia, constipation, and even stomach ulcers. It is good for bone development and treating asthma too.
Ever wondered that a simple bajra grain could offer us such a huge plethora of benefits? Isn’t it amazing? Don’t you want to explore further about this wholesome food grown in India?
Okay, we shall now discuss the richness of this India’s very own traditional food grain in detail.
Bajra for Diabetes – Is it a Good Choice for Diabetics?
Bajra is a good food choice for diabetics. However, its glycemic index falls in the medium range. Yet, its high fiber and protein content lowers the glycemic load and makes it suitable to be included in a diabetic diet plan.
It delays the absorption of glucose and prevents blood glucose spikes. It is jampacked with many nutrients offering many benefits.
With a glycemic index of 54, bajra is a moderate GI food. It causes a gradual rise in blood sugar levels which is not a thing to worry about.
Bajra or pearl millet has been used to make chapatis for ages. It is still eaten as a regular meal in the villages of Rajasthan. “Bajra ki roti” is the oldest traditional meal of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
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One hundred grams of Bajra contains 360 calories. The nutritional profile of Bajra can be depicted as-
| Nutrient | Quantity |
| Carbohydrates | 67 grams |
| Fibers | 1 gram |
| Proteins | 12 grams |
| Fats | 5 grams |
| Minerals | 2 grams |
| Calcium | 42 milligrams |
| Phosphorous | 242 milligrams |
| Iron | 8 milligrams |
Bajra is a fiber-rich food with high protein content. This composition is ideal for a diabetic diet.
The iron and vitamin B1 present in Bajra also prove to be greatly beneficial. Further, this whole-grain blesses the body by providing antioxidants that lower cholesterol and phytochemicals that strengthen the body to fight against diseases.
7 Health Benefits of Bajra Roti
Bajra is no less than super-food. It should be an integral part of the diet, especially for people suffering from heart, digestion, or immunity-related disorders.
1. Gluten-Free Grain
The proteins in Bajra are free from gluten. Many people are allergic to gluten, a protein found in white rice. Bajra is a good choice for people whose bodies are intolerant of gluten or those looking to have gluten-free meals. You just found the best suitable option. Woah!
2. Keeps Heart Problems Away
People having any heart-related disorders should include bajra in their diet. It will safeguard them against many problems.
Magnesium in bajra minimizes the risk of cardiovascular disorders. It also lowers bad cholesterol levels.
Further, omega-3 oils are also cardio-protecting in nature. These oils prevent coronary artery disease by slowing down the accumulation of plaque in arteries.
3. Eradicates Common deficiencies From Body
Bajra provides you with the two most important nutrients, namely iron and phosphorous. Iron is chiefly required to tackle diseases like anemia, suffice the body’s energy needs, and boost memory. Phosphorous is necessary for your bones and teeth.
4. Disease-Fighting Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are present in abundant amounts in bajra. The three flavonoids – tricin, luteolin, and acacetin- possess anti-cancer and antioxidant properties.
The flavonoids also delay the aging process, boost immunity, and prevent metabolic syndrome.
5. Weight Management
As a good source of fibers, bajra is absorbed, slowly maintaining satiety for longer hours. This deters you from binge-eating.
People who are trying hard to lose some weight must part with bajra. Your weight loss journey will become easier.
6. Healthy Gut
You will experience a good transformation in your digestive system after consuming bajra. This is because bajra act as the pre-biotic enabling optimum functioning of the digestive system.
Insoluble fibers will prevent unhealthy bulk eating, thereby reducing the chances of constipation.
7. Helps in Diabetes Management
Last but not least, bajra will help you in managing diabetes. The fact that bajra is absorbed slowly in the digestive tract has been repeated several times.
The release of sugars at a gradual rate does not cause spikes in blood glucose levels. The fiber content of bajra makes it a diabetes-friendly millet.
Magnesium, which is associated with lowering the risk of diabetes, is also found in bajra in apparent proportion.
How to Make Bajra Roti?
The nutrition-packed Bajra roti doesn’t take much of your time for its preparation. Devote just half an hour, and you will get it ready.
Ingredients needed to make this roti are – 2 cups or 480 ml bajra flour, one tablespoon ghee, and one tablespoon salt.
- Take some bajra flour in a vessel, add salt and make a dough with warm water. Leave it for 5 minutes before you knead it to get a soft texture for making Rotis.
- After you are done kneading the flour with good consistency, heat the pan.
- Make small balls from the dough and roll them gently as you do to make wheat flour chapatis. Transfer the bajra flour rotis to the heated pan.
- Let it cook from both sides. Now, pour some ghee over them. Your rotis are all set to be served.
Bajra-Methi Roti – A special Low-carb Roti for Diabetics
Here is a boon for diabetics. A special roti with two super healthy ingredients – pearl millet (bajra) and fenugreek (methi). You will enjoy not just the taste but also the results that follow.
An ideal diet for diabetes is the one that is-
- Low in carbohydrate amount
- High in protein
- Has low GI
And this roti contains it all. Prepare it following the instructions given below and see the wonders happening.
Take 200 grams of bajra flour. Mix it with 100 grams whole wheat flour and 250 grams of fenugreek leaves in a large bowl. Toss in some chopped garlic and cloves.
After this, bring in 1 tablespoon low-fat curd followed by 50 grams low fat paneer, some green chilies, and two tablespoons of coriander leaves.
Lastly, add turmeric, salt, and red chilly powder (optional) as per your taste.
Now, begin to knead the flour with an adequate amount of water. Make sure the dough is smooth, neither too sticky nor too dry.
Make Rotis with this dough the same way you make with wheat dough. Savor it with any vegetable or chutney.
Note: Generally, bajra roti is eaten with jaggery. But you should avoid pairing roti with jaggery in case of diabetes. Instead, have it with some diabetes-friendly chutney.
Whole Wheat Roti VS Bajra roti – Which is Better for Diabetics?
It is a clear fact that milled wheat flour is an unhealthy choice for diabetes. Hence, it must be avoided.
The limelight now turns towards whole wheat and bajra flour. Both of them are whole grains and, thereby, healthy options.
Chapatis made from whole wheat flour have a lesser quantity of carbs than those made from bajra flour. Likewise, whole wheat chapati contains fewer calories compared to bajra roti.
Based on this fact, you can have two bajra rotis and up to 4 whole wheat rotis for your meals.
However, when it comes to overall nutrition, the weightage of bajra roti is more.
It would help if you also considered that whole wheat rotis can be eaten throughout the year, whereas bajra rotis are preferably eaten during winters. In summers, bajra rotis tend to shoot up the body temperature, which can be a troubling experience for some people.
Concluding Words
There are numerous reasons to include bajra roti in your diabetic diet plan, while you will hardly find any reason to say no. It will help you to levels up your diabetes management plan and protect you from various other ailments at the same time.
An unmatched potential of small and simple grain that bestows big benefits has been unlocked. You can keep multifarious health problems away by shaking hands with a single food substance.
What still stops you from opting for Bajra roti?
References
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/21344061_Glycaemic_response_to_maize_bajra_and_barley
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5037128/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24352140/
