Ragi Benefits: 12 Reasons to Add Finger Millet to Your Diet

What Is Ragi?

Ragi is finger millet. In Hindi it is called nachni or mandua. In Tamil it is kezhvaragu. In Kannada and Telugu it is simply ragi. Its botanical name is Eleusine coracana.

Ragi has been a daily grain in Karnataka and other parts of South India for generations. Many ragi benefits now have support from research. Some are still mostly tradition. This guide tells you which is which. Each number below comes from a named source.

The small dark-brown grain looks plain. But its numbers stand out. Per 100 g, ragi has about 3 times the calcium of cow milk. It has about 4 times the fibre of white rice. It has about 7 times the iron of white rice. Ragi is the richest cereal or millet in calcium in the Indian food tables.

Ragi Nutrition per 100 g: Ragi vs Milk, Wheat and Rice

Ragi nutrition per 100 g, from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017) of ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition: 321 kcal, 7.2 g protein, 11.2 g fibre, 364 mg calcium and 4.6 mg iron. The table compares ragi (food code A010) with wheat atta (A019), raw milled white rice (A015) and whole cow milk (L002).

Source: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (see Sources below), ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. Values are per 100 g of the raw food. Energy is converted from kilojoules. Milk is per 100 g, which is close to 100 ml. IFCT lists no fibre for milk.

The most important number: ragi has 364 mg calcium per 100 g. Whole cow milk has 118 mg per 100 g. So gram for gram, ragi has about 3 times more calcium. But you eat far less ragi than milk in one serving. See the per-serving comparison below.

12 Ragi Benefits, Checked Against Sources

Here are 12 ragi benefits. Each one says what the evidence shows. Where a claim is only tradition, we say so.

Benefit 1: More Calcium Than Milk, Gram for Gram (364 mg per 100 g)

Ragi has 364 mg of calcium per 100 g (IFCT 2017, A010). Whole cow milk has 118 mg per 100 g (L002). So 100 g of ragi flour has about as much calcium as 300 ml of milk. The next highest grain in the IFCT cereal and millet group is quinoa, at 198 mg. Your body needs calcium for bones. ICMR-NIN sets 1,000 mg a day for Indian adults. Ragi is a useful plant source of calcium for people who drink little or no milk.

Benefit 2: High Fibre (11.2 g per 100 g), About 4 Times More Than White Rice

Ragi has 11.2 g of fibre per 100 g. Raw milled white rice has 2.8 g. So ragi has about 4 times more fibre than white rice. Wheat atta has about the same fibre as ragi, at 11.4 g (IFCT 2017). Most of the fibre in ragi is insoluble: 9.5 g of the 11.2 g. MedlinePlus says insoluble fibre adds bulk to the stool. It helps food pass more quickly through the gut.

Benefit 3: Gentler on Blood Sugar Than White Rice (Medium GI)

Ragi has a medium glycemic index (GI). A 2021 review of 65 studies, by ICRISAT and ICMR-NIN researchers, put finger millet in the 55 to 69 GI group. Milled rice averaged 71.7 in the same review. A lower GI means blood sugar rises more slowly after a meal. In people with diabetes, eating millets for a long time lowered fasting blood sugar by about 12 per cent. That result is for millets as a group, not ragi alone. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor before you change your diet.

Benefit 4: Can Fit a Weight-Loss Diet (Fibre, Not Fewer Calories)

Ragi is not lower in calories than wheat. Per 100 g, ragi flour has 321 kcal and wheat atta has 320 kcal (IFCT 2017). So a ragi roti and a wheat roti of the same size have about the same calories. Ragi's fibre may help you feel full. In a 2021 review of 19 millet studies, millet meals lowered body mass index by 7 per cent. For the full answer, read ragi for weight loss: does it really help?

Benefit 5: A Traditional First Food for Babies After 6 Months

Many Indian families give ragi porridge as one of a baby's first foods. The WHO says babies should get only breast milk for the first 6 months. After that, WHO advises "nutritionally adequate, safe complementary (solid) foods are introduced from six months", while breastfeeding goes on. Ragi brings calcium (364 mg per 100 g) and iron (4.6 mg per 100 g). Start with a small amount, such as a teaspoon of flour cooked well in water. Increase it slowly. Ask your paediatrician how much your baby needs.

Benefit 6: May Help Against Anaemia (4.6 mg Iron per 100 g)

Ragi has 4.6 mg of iron per 100 g (IFCT 2017). Anaemia is common in India. In the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21), 57 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 were anaemic. ICMR-NIN sets 29 mg of iron a day for adult Indian women. In a 2021 review, anaemic people who ate millets regularly raised their haemoglobin by 13.2 per cent. Eat ragi with vitamin C foods like lemon, tomato or amla. MedlinePlus says foods rich in vitamin C increase iron absorption.

Benefit 7: Protein With a Good Share of Methionine

Ragi protein has a good share of methionine. Methionine is an essential amino acid. MedlinePlus explains that the body cannot make essential amino acids, so they must come from food. IFCT 2017 lists 2.74 g of methionine per 100 g of ragi protein. Rice protein has 2.60 g, bajra 2.11 g, wheat atta 1.77 g and jowar 1.52 g. But ragi has only 7.2 g of protein per 100 g. So pair it with dal, milk or curd for a full meal.

Benefit 8: Useful Calcium and Iron in Pregnancy (Not Much Folate)

ICMR-NIN sets 1,000 mg of calcium and 29 mg of iron a day for an adult Indian woman. Ragi gives a useful part of both. A bowl of porridge made with 30 g of ragi flour has about 109 mg of calcium and 1.4 mg of iron. Ragi is low in folate, at 35 micrograms per 100 g, against an RDA of 220 micrograms for women. So it does not replace the folic acid your doctor gives. In many South Indian homes, new mothers eat ragi porridge to support breast milk. That is tradition. We found no trial that proves it.

Benefit 9: May Help Lower Bad Cholesterol (LDL)

Millets may help lower cholesterol. A 2021 review of 19 studies found that eating millets for 21 days to 4 months lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol by 10 per cent. Total cholesterol fell by 8 per cent. That review covered millets as a group, not ragi alone. Ragi has 1.7 g of soluble fibre per 100 g (IFCT 2017). MedlinePlus says soluble fibre helps lower cholesterol.

Benefit 10: Naturally Gluten-Free

Ragi is naturally gluten-free. A 2017 review in Frontiers in Plant Science calls finger millet "a gluten-free, low fat cereal". So it can replace wheat in roti, dosa, idli, cakes and biscuits. But some mills grind wheat and ragi on the same machines. If you have coeliac disease, buy ragi flour that is labelled gluten-free. Unlike many gluten-free mixes made from refined starch, ragi flour is a whole grain.

Benefit 11: Magnesium and Polyphenols for Heart Health

Ragi has 146 mg of magnesium per 100 g (IFCT 2017). ICMR-NIN sets 370 mg a day for women and 440 mg for men. Ragi also has polyphenols, which are natural plant compounds. In the 2021 millet review, millet meals lowered systolic blood pressure by 4 per cent and diastolic by 5 per cent. Those results are for millets in general. Ragi is one helpful grain in a heart-healthy diet, not a medicine.

Benefit 12: A Traditional Summer Drink (Ragi Kanji and Ambali)

South Indian families drink thin ragi kanji or ambali in summer. Many people say it feels cooling. That is tradition. We found no study that shows ragi cools the body or prevents heat stroke. What is true is simple. Thin kanji is mostly water, so it adds to your fluids. Ragi also has 443 mg of potassium per 100 g (IFCT 2017). In real heat, drink plenty of water and get out of the sun.

Who Should Eat Ragi Every Day?

How to Include Ragi Daily (Without Getting Bored)

The best way to eat ragi consistently is to rotate across 4–5 different forms. Here is a weekly rotation:

• Monday / Thursday: Ragi porridge for breakfast. 2 tbsp flour + 1 cup water or milk. 7 minutes on low flame. Small piece of jaggery.
• Tuesday / Friday: Ragi dosa for breakfast. See the full ragi dosa recipe linked below. Ragi flour + urad dal batter, fermented overnight. Crispy, thin dosas with coconut chutney.
• Wednesday: Ragi roti for lunch. The ragi roti recipe is linked below too. 1 cup ragi flour + hot water. Pat and cook on tawa. Serve with dal and sabzi.
• Saturday: Ragi idli. Steamed, soft, light. Good for people with sensitive stomachs.
• Any day: Ragi smoothie. Cook 1 tbsp ragi flour in a little water and let it cool. Blend it with 1 banana and 1 cup (200 ml) cold milk. Most of the protein comes from the milk: 200 ml of whole cow milk has about 6.5 g (IFCT 2017).

For babies: Start with plain ragi water: 1 teaspoon of flour cooked in 100 ml of water. Then move to a thicker porridge. Do not add jaggery, sugar or salt. The NHS says babies do not need sugar and says "do not add salt to your baby's food or cooking water". Jaggery is a sugar too. Ask your paediatrician before you add cow milk.

Ragi Ka Daliya Khane Ke Fayde (रागी दलिया के फायदे)

Ragi ka daliya ek garam, halka nashta hai. 30 gram ragi ke daliye mein lagbhag 109 mg calcium, 1.4 mg iron aur 3.4 gram fibre hota hai (IFCT 2017). Fibre pet ko bhara rakhta hai. Ragi ka GI chawal se kam hai, isliye blood sugar dheere badhta hai. Daliya doodh ya paani mein bana sakte hain. Diabetes ho to cheeni ya gud kam daaliye.

In English: Ragi daliya (ragi porridge) is a warm, light breakfast. A bowl made with 30 g of ragi flour has about 109 mg calcium, 1.4 mg iron and 3.4 g fibre (IFCT 2017). The fibre helps you feel full. Ragi has a lower GI than white rice, so blood sugar rises more slowly. You can cook it in milk or water. For a full recipe, see our ragi porridge guide.

100 Gram Ragi Mein Kitna Calcium Hota Hai?

100 gram ragi mein lagbhag 364 mg calcium hota hai. Yeh IFCT 2017 ka aankda hai (food code A010). Isi 100 gram mein 11.2 gram fibre aur 4.6 mg iron bhi hota hai. In English: 100 g of ragi has about 364 mg calcium, 11.2 g fibre and 4.6 mg iron.

Ragi vs Milk: Which Has More Calcium?

Per 100 g, ragi has about 3 times more calcium than cow milk. IFCT 2017 lists 364 mg of calcium in 100 g of ragi (food code A010). It lists 118 mg in 100 g of whole cow milk (L002). But per serving, a glass of milk gives more. A bowl of porridge uses about 30 g of ragi flour, which has about 109 mg of calcium. A 200 ml glass of milk has about 236 mg.

Figures are worked out from IFCT 2017 per-100 g values. The 1,000 mg daily need is the ICMR-NIN RDA 2020 for Indian adults.

There is one more catch. Your body may not absorb all the calcium in ragi. IFCT 2017 lists 306 mg of phytate and 40 mg of oxalate in 100 g of ragi. The IFCT text explains: "Calcium and magnesium salts of phytic acid are insoluble and these minerals are hence rendered less bio-available." A 2017 review of finger millet says phytate and oxalate "can impede Ca absorption". The same review says sprouting (malting) and fermenting ragi cut phytate and make more calcium available. Milk has no phytate. So ragi is a good calcium food, but it does not replace milk one for one.

Ragi With Milk: Is It Good or Bad?

Ragi with milk is good for most people. The two foods add up. A bowl made with 30 g of ragi flour and a 200 ml glass of whole cow milk gives about 345 mg of calcium and 8.7 g of protein (IFCT 2017). That is about a third of the 1,000 mg of calcium an adult needs each day. We found no study showing that ragi and milk together are harmful.

The same bowl has about 242 kcal before you add sugar or jaggery. Ragi brings fibre and iron. Milk brings protein and easy-to-absorb calcium. Ragi malt made from sprouted ragi may give a little more usable calcium, because sprouting cuts phytate.

When to take care:

• Lactose intolerance: if milk upsets your stomach, cook ragi in water instead.
• Diabetes: watch the sugar or jaggery you add. Ask your doctor about portion size.
• Babies: ask your paediatrician when to start cow milk, and add no sugar or salt.

Ragi milk vs cow milk: ragi milk (ragi paal) is a drink made by grinding soaked ragi with water and straining it. Its calcium depends on how much ragi goes in. IFCT 2017 has no entry for ragi milk, so no fixed number can be given. For a cooked ragi and milk drink, see our ragi malt recipe.

Ragi is the highest-calcium cereal or millet in the Indian food tables. For how it compares with milk per serving, see calcium rich foods in India, with the exact milligrams per 100 g.