Bajra (Pearl millet) is the most widely grown type of millet in India. Millets are seeded grasses and are a healthy substitute for rice and wheat in almost all the recipes.They have high resistance against harsh climates so, they can be grown easily.
Bajra flour is made by grinding the Bajra (pearl millet) grains. It is grayish in color and has nutty flavor. Bajra flour is an excellent source of iron, protein, folic acid and fibre that keeps complex ailments like anemia, constipation,obesity in check and flushes out all toxins. Bajra grains are gluten free hence, bajra flour doesn't stick together well. Also, they release energy slowly because of the complex carbohydrates.They are an ideal food for weight-loss diet because, they take time to digest and make one feel fuller.
1. High in Protein:
One cup of Bajra Flour is 130 grams, which makes 6 rotis. From that one cup you can get 6 Bajra Rotis. So each Bajra Roti is about 1.8 grams of protein and very good source for Vegetarian.
2. High in Fiber :
One cup of Bajra flour gives about 10.84 grams of fibre. From that one cup you can get 6 Bajra Rotis. So each Bajra Roti is about 1.8 grams of fibre and very good source for Vegetarian.
3. Complete Protein for Vegetarians :
Bajra Flour forms a complete protein when combined with legumes like rajma, moong dal, urad dal, toovar dal, chana dal.
4. Gluten Free :
Great healthy option for those who are intolerant to Gluten. What’s better is that Bajra Roti is healthier than Whole Wheat Roti.
5. Good for Diabetics :
Bajra is rich in Magnesium which improves insulin response by lowering insulin resistance which is good for Diabetics. Having very low magnesium will result in the pancreas not secrete enough insulin to control our blood sugar.
6. Good for Heart :
Bajra is rich in Magnesium. 100 grams of Bajra have 131 milligrams of Magnesium which is 37% of your recommend daily allowance (RDA). Magnesium helps maintain nerve function and normal heartbeat.
7. Lowers Cholesterol :
Being high in Fibre, Bajra reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases the effects of good cholesterol (HDL)
8. Lowers Blood Pressure :
Bajra and all Millets are rich in Potassium. Potassium is critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So if you are suffering from High Blood Pressure and taking medication, then the medicine works by taking out the sodium and potassium from the kidneys. So you need to up your Potassium intake in this case.
9. Relieves Constipation :
Bajra being rich in insoluble fibre helps easy digestion and hence relieves constipation. Insoluble Fibre does not dissolve in water and goes through your stomach without being processed helping other foods move through your system and out. Insoluble Fibre keeps you healthier with a better digestive system.
10. Alkaline :
Bajra is alkaline in nature and combats acidity. Acidity is a form of indigestion in which there is accumulation of acid leading to a burning sensation in the stomach and the digestive tract. The stomach periodically produces acid to aid digestion. It is when we don't eat at regular intervals or are excessively stressed the stomach produces more acids which harms our body.
11. Good for Endurance :
Being high in fibre, protein, alkaline, lowering blood pressure means more RBC (red blood cells) to give energy. All these factors enhance performance of endurance athletes like runners, swimmers and bikers.
12. Antioxidant Rich :
Bajra has many antioxidants which help fight the body against infections.
13. Helps prevents Anaemia :
Bajra flour contains a fair source of Iron which helps prevent Anaemia. Here is our food sources of Iron.
14. Rich in Folic Acid :
Vitamin B9 helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. It also helps prevents DNA changes that might cause cancer.
15 Good for bones :
Bajra flour is rich in Phosphorus which is a major mineral which works closely with calcium to build our bones.
16. Good for Skin :
Being rich in Zinc which helps repair skin and slows the ageing process.
17. Good for Eyes :
Zinc helps in the activity of an enzyme in our body that helps produce Vitamin A, which is useful in treating night blindness.
18. Carbohydrate Metabolism :
Bajra flour is rich in Vitamin B1 which is essential for glucose metabolism. It extracts energy from our food and converts it into ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
One cup of Bajra Flour is 130 g (which is obtained from 96 g of whole bajra), which makes 6 rotis.
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
Nutritional Information for 1 cup Bajra Flour
346 Calories
11.1 grams of Protein
64.8 grams of Carbs
4.8 grams of Fat
284 mg of Phosphorus : 47.3% of RDA (about 600 mg for adult)
Full details of Bajra Flour Nutritional information here.
We have a collection of 130 recipes using Bajra Flour.
10 Healthy Bajra Flour recipes.
We hope you enjoyed this article and would love to hear from you. Please comment at the bottom of the page and let us know if you want us to add any more information. Happy cooking.
It was nice
Nice information for healthy life
You have noted almost all the benefits of bajra flakes. Really commendable.
Edited after original posting.
Thanks for providing us with such valuable information about bajra. May God bless you.
pls am from Nigeria were can I buy the bajra flour
As an diabetic for several years, medically advised to have meals thats control diabetic level. Article Given has great health information which was never known before to me. Bajra rotla, Bajra-Garlic roti, Bhakri i loved having in meals. Actually having garama-garam rotis, rotla or bhakri sound awesome. tried them with other diabetic subzis recipes like Bhaja Moong Dal Shobji Diye, Carrot Methi Subzi ,Sprouted Kabuli Chana and Palak of Tarla Mam. Thanks Madam for providing such wonderful healthy recipes and informations.