Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), often known as ragi in India, stands unique among the cereals such as barley, rye and oats with higher nutritional contents and has outstanding properties as a subsistence food crop. It is rich in calcium, dietary fiber, phytates (0.48%), protein, minerals and phenolics. It is also a rich source of thiamine, riboflavin, iron, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and other essential amino acids.

The abundance of these phytochemicals enhances the nutraceutical potential of finger millet, making it a powerhouse of health benefiting nutrients. It has distinguished health beneficial properties, such as anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, antitumorigenic, anti-atherosclerogenic effects, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

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