Millet diet likely to improve vitamin B12, vitamin D levels: Delhi Trial

New Delhi: Millet-based diets may help improve vitamin B12, vitamin D and haemoglobin levels when combined with vitamin and multivitamin supplements, according to a Delhi-based study published in European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety, amid growing concern over widespread “hidden hunger” and micronutrient deficiencies in India.Conducted among adults aged 18-45 years at National Association of the Blind (NAB) in Delhi-NCR, the study examined whether millet-rich diets alongside supplements could improve nutritional status better than supplements alone. Researchers said India continues to face a high burden of vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies because of poor dietary diversity and cereal-heavy diets.The study was authored by researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Celiac Society of India and Dr Dangs Lab. The authors included Chandrakant S.

Pandav, Kapil Yadav, Ishi Khosla, Arjun Dang, Binish Jawed, Anindita Das and Aditya Baloni.The randomised controlled trial involved 54 participants divided into two groups for 60 days. One group received oral supplements of vitamin D, vitamin B12 and multivitamins, while the intervention group received the same supplements along with a millet-based diet.Researchers found that women in the millet intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels compared to the control group.

Haemoglobin levels also improved significantly among women receiving millet-based meals.The study said the intervention group recorded a median increase of 302 pg/mL in vitamin B12 levels compared to 78 pg/mL in the control group. Vitamin D levels increased by 49.9 ng/mL in the intervention group compared to 31.7 ng/mL in the control group among women participants.Nutritionist and study author Ishi Khosla told TOI that incorporating millets into the diet may help improve micronutrient absorption and reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, including obesity.

However, she cautioned that “portion size and timing are key”.Researchers said India’s dietary shift away from traditional grains such as millets after the Green Revolution may have contributed to rising micronutrient deficiencies. The paper noted that millets are rich in minerals, fibre and antioxidant compounds and could offer a sustainable dietary strategy to tackle nutritional deficiencies.The authors, however, cautioned that supplements remained the primary driver for improvement in vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels, while the millet diet may have provided additive benefits.The study also observed that improvements were more pronounced among women, while changes among men did not reach statistical significance. Researchers said the male subgroup was very small, with only six participants in each arm, which may have limited the findings.