NEW DELHI: India may have solved food shortages, but a quieter crisis persists — hidden hunger. People may eat enough, yet lack essential nutrients like iron, vitamin D and B12, leading to fatigue, poor immunity and anaemia, even among those who appear healthy.A pilot study by the Celiac Society of India, in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi and the National Association of the Blind (NAB), suggests that bringing traditional grains like millets back into daily diets may help address this gap — especially alongside supplements.The two-month study, conducted among 54 adult residents including 42 women at NAB in Delhi, compared two groups. All participants received vitamin D, vitamin B12 and multivitamins, but one group also had part of their wheat-based meals replaced with millet dishes such as ragi, bajra and jowar. Blood samples were analyzed before and after the intervention to assess changes in key nutritional markers.While supplements improved vitamin levels across participants, those consuming millet-based meals showed slightly stronger gains in some markers, particularly among women. The findings, though based on a small sample, point to a potentially meaningful role of diet quality in improving outcomes.Experts say the results highlight the importance of diet diversity, which has declined with the shift towards rice and wheat after the Green Revolution.Millets, once widely consumed, are rich in fibre, iron and B-vitamins, and are naturally gluten-free. Researchers noted that while millets do not provide vitamin D or B12, they may help the body utilize nutrients more effectively, possibly by improving overall diet quality and gut health.A similar trend was seen in hemoglobin levels, which improved among several women in the millet group, even though iron stores did not change significantly over the short duration. Participants also reported better energy, mood and overall well-being.Nutritionist Ishi Khosla said replacing wheat with millets improved overall nutritional profile and energy levels.Shalini Khanna, director of NAB India centre, said women showed visible improvements in strength, focus and performance, though cost remains a challenge for scaling such diets. She said the study reinforces a simple message: supplements help correct deficiencies, but diet still matters.
