IndianJadiBooti Ragi Powder - Finger Millet Powder - Raagi - Mandwa - Madua - Eleusine coracana

Ragi, formally known as Eleusine coracana, is an annual grain crop that is widely grown in tropical Africa and Asia, including Ethiopia, India, and Sri Lanka.
Ragi, being densely packed with nutrients, provides essential health advantages such as improving digestion, lowering the risk of heart disease, slowing ageing, and managing diabetes. 

Ragi is also known as finger millet in English due to the look of the grain's head, which has five spikes and so resembles the five fingers attached to the palm of the hand. This annual grass belongs to the Gramineae botanical family and grows to a height of 1 to 2 m. The leaves are slender and green, measuring between 30 and 70 cm. Straight or curving branches contain seeds organised in florets that might be brown, red, or purple in colour. It is found in numerous Indian states and is known locally as "Ragi" in Kannada, Hindi, and Telugu, "Nachni" in Marathi, "Madua" in Bengali, and "Kezhvaragu" in Tamil. 

Finger millet crops are drought-tolerant and tolerate slightly acidic to alkaline soils. This makes it perfect for propagating these plants all year in various geographical terrains across India, whether in the highlands or on the plateaus. Ragi plant seeds are dried, cleaned, and stored as grains as they mature.
Thus, commercially available ragi is either in the form of nutritious supergrains or threshed under high pressure and sold as flour after various processing procedures such as milling and malting have been used. 

Ragi had taken a back seat in the Indian food and nutrition scene for a long time due to the huge popularity of other cereal crops such as rice and wheat, despite being a highly respected healthy yield in ancient agricultural practises more than 2000 years ago.

Ragi has made a significant comeback as a frontrunner for maintaining optimal health in the last three to four decades, thanks to extensive research and the UN FAO's (United Nations Food And Agriculture Organization) push to incorporate millets into the daily diet to combat malnutrition and a variety of other commonly occurring ailments. 

Holistic Breakfast Food:

Ragi has a wide range of essential nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, iron, calcium, antioxidants, proteins, fibres, enough calories, and beneficial unsaturated fats. The stomach and intestines exhibit peak levels of metabolism in the morning after a deep sleep at night.

As a result, eating ragi-based foods for breakfast, such as ragi upma or ragi parathas, activates the digestive juices and ensures complete assimilation of nutrients found in ragi, which are absorbed into the bloodstream and transferred to vital organs such as the heart, brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys. 

Supplies Essential Amino Acids:

Ragi contains specific critical amino acids, making it a one-of-a-kind plant-based source of high-quality proteins. It contains methionine, a sulphur-based amino acid that helps restore skin and hair health, valine and isoleucine, which repair wounded muscular tissues, and threonine, which helps teeth and enamel form properly and protects the mouth from gum disease. 

Supports A Gluten-Free Diet:

A considerable proportion of young adults and older people acquire intolerance to the gluten proteins found in cereals such as wheat, which is sadly a common element in Indian recipes. Ragi, which is naturally gluten-free, may readily be substituted for wheat in chapatis, dosas, and sweets or mithais, and is frequently advised for celiac sufferers. 

It is crucial to remember, however, that because ragi is high in fibre, its digestion process is more complex, and eating ragi at night is usually not recommended, especially for people with digestive issues or gluten sensitivities. 

Other Names: Eleusine Coracana, Finger Millet, Maruba Dhan, Madua, Marua, Bhav, Madua, Ragi, Naanchani, Nasne, Nachne, Moothari, Nachni, Mandia, Mandal, Mandhul, Mundal, Madhulika, Mattakam, Nrityakundala, Kezhvaragu, Keppai, Ragulu, Tamidalu, Kodra, Madwa

Fortifies Bone Density:

Finger millet, a great source of natural calcium, helps to strengthen bones in growing children. It also helps to restore optimal bone density in older persons, which aids in the relief of osteoporosis symptoms. While younger people can drink ragi on a regular basis, middle-aged and older folks must eat calculated quantities of ragi to improve bone health while avoiding gastrointestinal and kidney issues. 

Keeps Blood Sugar Levels In Check:

Finger millet, while high in calories and carbohydrates for quick energy, also contains phytates, tannins, and polyphenols - plant compounds that slow down digestion. Ragi is a helpful addition to a diabetes diet since it lowers high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Ragi is also the #1 food of choice for adults for speeding weight reduction and treating other lifestyle conditions such as diabetes and obesity due to its low digestion and high fibre content. 

Treats Anemia:

A lack of iron
Every year, anaemia affects tens of thousands of Indian men, women, and children, causing excessive weariness and low productivity.
Ragi is an iron-rich food that can help those who have low haemoglobin levels in their blood, effectively treating anaemia.

Boosts Nervous System Function:

Due to high levels of the amino acid tryptophan, eating ragi in moderate portions on a daily basis helps to improve nerve impulse transmission, activate memory centres in the brain, and soothe the mind.

Ragi aids in the treatment of anxiety and insomnia by maintaining pleasant moods and supporting sound sleep since tryptophan balances the amounts of serotonin, a neurotransmitter. 

Augments Heart Health:

Ragi is absolutely free of cholesterol and sodium, therefore those with heart disease can safely consume meals made with ragi flour. Furthermore, an excess of dietary fibre and vitamin B3 or niacin promotes good HDL levels while decreasing dangerous LDL levels. This prevents plaque and fatty deposits in heart arteries, hence increasing cardiac muscle function and heart health. 

Ragi For Pregnancy And Lactation:

Ragi grains sprouted overnight and consumed the next morning have numerous health benefits for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Ragi's high iron and calcium content makes it perfect for stimulating milk production and balancing hormonal processes in pregnant women and young moms.