News

UK: Orphan crop status rises to 'super grain'

Teff
United Kingdom
Published Aug 17, 2021

Tridge summary

Cereal grains have been the main component of human diets for thousands of years, with rice, wheat and maize being the most consumed grains worldwide. However, as the global population continues to increase, underutilized cereal crops could help meet dietary needs. Researchers are now investigating how African cereal crops could be cultivated more effectively and adopted more widely as sources of food.

Original content

Grains such as teff, millet, and sorghum are mostly grown and consumed locally in certain African countries. However, there is interest in cultivating them in Europe and elsewhere as new sources of cereal since they are highly nutritious. Teff grains, for example, are rich in calcium and protein as well as iron, containing levels almost five times higher than wheat or any other cereal. This could be especially beneficial to prevent iron-deficiency anemia, which is common in women. They also contain carbohydrates that are digested slowly, which is ideal for people with diabetes to help maintain low blood sugar levels. In addition, most African cereal crops are gluten free so they can be consumed by people with coeliac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. "There are so many health and nutritional benefits," said Dr. Aiswarya Girija, a research fellow at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. Furthermore, many of these African cereal crops can adapt to extreme weather conditions ...
Source: Phys
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