ISBN: 978-93-94174-16_0

Millets as Sustainable Functional Foods for Obesity Prevention and Weight Management: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical and Mechanistic Evidence

Department of Food Processing Technology, AMET (Deemed to be University), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Obesity has become one of the most pressing global public health challenges, substantially increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and several obesity-related cancers. Consequently, there is growing interest in sustainable dietary strategies that support healthy weight management while improving metabolic health. Millets have re-emerged as promising functional grains owing to their superior nutritional profile, climate resilience, and potential role in obesity prevention. Rich in dietary fiber, resistant starch, quality proteins, essential minerals, vitamins, and diverse bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants, millets possess physiological properties that may positively influence energy metabolism and body weight regulation. This chapter critically examines the current scientific evidence regarding the role of millets in obesity prevention and weight management. It discusses the nutritional composition and functional characteristics of major millet varieties and explores the biological mechanisms underlying their anti-obesity effects, including appetite regulation, delayed gastric emptying, improved glycemic control, enhanced lipid metabolism, modulation of gut microbiota, and regulation of molecular pathways involved in energy homeostasis and adipogenesis. Evidence from human intervention studies, randomized controlled trials, epidemiological investigations, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses is synthesized to evaluate the effects of millet consumption on body weight, body mass index, body fat, waist circumference, and cardiometabolic risk factors. The chapter also highlights the influence of processing technologies on nutrient bioavailability and examines the development of innovative millet-based functional foods for sustainable obesity management. Overall, current evidence supports the inclusion of millets as nutrient-dense functional foods capable of promoting healthy weight management, improving metabolic health, and contributing to sustainable dietary patterns. However, further large-scale, long-term clinical studies are required to strengthen the evidence base and facilitate evidence-based dietary recommendations.

*Corresponding author; e-mail: nivethakrishnaa20@gmail.com

Cite this Chapter: Nivetha Muralikrishna. 2026. Millets as Sustainable Functional Foods for Obesity Prevention and Weight Management: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical and Mechanistic Evidence. In: M. Kannan and Bhuvaneswari Rajagopal (Eds.), Advances in Aquatic Nutraceutical and Drugs. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 130-138. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-16-0_9