Curre Res Diabetes & Obes J A Comparative Kap Study on Ragi, A Forgotten Wonder Grain with Oats among South Indian Families

Abstract

Ragi (Finger millet) is a traditional South Indian food, that is associated with various health benefits like reduction of cholesterol, obesity,
diabetes, atherosclerosis and malnutrition. Despite its nutritional value and affordability, the usage of ragi is minimal when compared to oats,
another nutritionally important cereal.
In this study, the following were assessed:
a. Knowledge of South Indian women aged 25-50 years about the nutritional benefits of ragi and oats.
b. Attitude - the reasons for preferring oats over ragi.
c. Practice - the usage frequency of ragi and oats.
The study reveals that most of the people were ignorant about nutritional benefits of ragi in comparison to oats, an adopted food. The scores
are above 6 out of 10 (mean score 7.5±1.1) for oats and less than 5 out of 10 (mean score 3±0.8) for ragi. The common reasons cited for preferring
oats over ragi were less cooking time (95%), inspiration from advertisements and friends (94%) and ignorant about health benefits of ragi
(91%). From this study, it was observed that 61.5% people use oats everyday whereas only 11.5% use ragi. In spite of having favourable growing
conditions for cultivation and less priced than oats, there is decreased use of ragi as a staple food. Hence it is important to create awareness
among the people and encourage its use.
Keywords: Ragi; Oats; KAP; Calcium; Anti-oxidants

Full text

Research Article
Volume 3 Issue 1 - July 2017
DOI: 10.19080/CRDOJ.2017.3.555601
Curre Res Diabetes & Obes J
Copyright © All rights are reserved by Shaji Sreedhar KP
A Comparative Kap Study on Ragi, A Forgotten
Wonder Grain with Oats among South Indian Families
Shaji Sreedhar KP1* and Sripriya Shaji2
1Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College, India
2Nutritionist & Psychologist, Sripriya’s counseling centre, India
Submission: June 19, 2017; Published: July 26, 2017
*Corresponding author: Shaji Sreedhar KP, Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College, India, Tel:
Email ID:
Opinion
         
common cereal grown in India and a traditional food of South
Indians since 1800 BC [1]. Though Indians consume cereals as
the main staple providing 70-80% of total energy intake [2], the
consumption of millets is very low compared to rice. A study by
      
that millets contributed to only about 2% of total calories [3],

grains [4]. Another study [5], reported that the consumption of

to energy requirement of 2400kcal/day of an Indian male doing
      
in Andhra Pradesh, 3g/CU/day in Tamil Nadu and almost nil
in Kerala. The increase in the incidence of lifestyle disorders
like diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, dyslipidemia
and obesity has lead to alternative adoption of foods like oats,
       
hypocholesterolaemic and anticancerous properties. However
because of less favourable growing conditions in India, a higher
       
increasing its cost.
Even though there are so many other millets like ragi which
       
cheaper, there is ignorance among people regarding their
nutritional content. Hence this study was undertaken to assess
the knowledge of South Indian women about the nutritional
           
reasons for preferring oats over ragi.
Curr Res Diabetes Obes J 3(1): CRDOJ.MS.ID.555601 (2017) 001
Abstract
  
diabetes, atherosclerosis and malnutrition. Despite its nutritional value and affordability, the usage of ragi is minimal when compared to oats,
another nutritionally important cereal.
In this study, the following were assessed:
 
b. Attitude - the reasons for preferring oats over ragi.
c. Practice - the usage frequency of ragi and oats.


             

conditions for cultivation and less priced than oats, there is decreased use of ragi as a staple food. Hence it is important to create awareness
among the people and encourage its use.
Keywords: Ragi; Oats; KAP; Calcium; Anti-oxidants

How to cite this article: Shaji S, Sripriya S. A Comparative Kap Study on Ragi, A Forgotten Wonder Grain with Oats among South Indian Families. Curre
Res Diabetes & Obes J. 2017; 3(1): 555590. DOI: 10.19080/CRDOJ.2017.3.555601.
002
Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 260 South
 

their families irrespective of their socio-economic status and
education. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to

the score of 10 each. The frequency of usage was assessed with
           
 
was asked to know the reasons for preferring ragi over oats
and the responses were recorded and organized into categories
by the researcher. Informed consent was taken from all the
respondents for data collection. Descriptive and inferential

Results
Knowledge
      
oats and ragi was assessed out of a total score of 10. The range
    

         
for both oats and ragi by the same individual varied from 2 to
          
assuming unequal variance with hypothesis of mean difference
4.5, which is the mean value ofthe difference between the scores
    
    


score proves that the knowledge about ragi is lesser than oats.
Table 1: Scores of knowledge about nutritive benets of oats and ragi.
Variable Mean Std Dev T-Tes t
Oats 7.51 1.12
0.90*Ragi 3.00 0.82
Difference 4.50 1.32
Attitude
Figure 1: Reasons for preferring oats over ragi.
The study reveals that the most common reasons for



       
        

Practice
   
use oats on daily basis, whereas only 11.5% use ragi. Almost
32% use oats and 25% use ragi at least once in a week. The
occasional use percentage of ragi: oats is 63.5: 6.5.
Discussion

    
   
They reduce the rate of cholesterol absorption by increasing the
viscosity of gut contents [8] and causes binding of bile acids to
increase the excretion of cholesterol [9]. Short chain fatty acids
like butyric acid, which are produced by fermentation of dietary
         
cancer by modulating gene expression and inducing apoptosis
         
and promotes laxation [11]. Even though the concentration of
proteins is low in ragi than oats, the prolamine fraction is high
[12]. Prolamine contains the higher proportion of glutamic acid,
proline, valine, isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine. They are
gluten-free [13] and are safe to be used in persons with celiac

   
higher amount of lipases that cause rancidity and short storage
life [14].
         
     
and vitamins like carotene, folic acid and choline are present in
ragi while they are negligible in oats. Though Vitamin C is absent
in both ragi and oats, ascorbic acid is formed in ragi during the
process ofgermination and therefore the iron in ragi is easily
absorbed [15]. Ragi is a very good source of phenolic compounds
[16,17] like ferulic acid, caffeic acid and vanillic acid [18].
Polyphenolsplay a very important role in enhancing endothelial
       
free radicals scavenging [21] and anti oxidant effect [22]. They

      
          
usage of ragi is minimal mainly because of unawareness among
        
easy cooking, advice from friends and health experts, colour,
texture, palatability and a symbol of social status were other
reasons for preferring oats. Even though 14% of people were

How to cite this article: Shaji S, Sripriya S. A Comparative Kap Study on Ragi, A Forgotten Wonder Grain with Oats among South Indian Families. Curre
Res Diabetes & Obes J. 2017; 3(1): 555590. DOI: 10.19080/CRDOJ.2017.3.555601.
003
Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal
bored of cooking traditional varieties, still ragi gained a higher

oats is generally lower than ragi. In most of the studies, GR was
measured from venous samples but newer guidelines necessitate
capillary glucose samples because of its greatest sensitivity for
        
further needed to determine the glycemic response for different
preparations of ragi [24].
Table 2: Nutrients, vitamins and minerals composition of ragi and oats
(all values are per 100g of edible portion).
Parameter Ragi Oatmeal
 13.10 8.22
 7.30 16.89
 1.30 6.90
 11.50 10.60
 72.00 66.00
 328.00 389.00
Vitamins
Pantothenic acid 1.35
 42.00 0.00
 0.42 0.76
 0.19 0.14
 1.10 0.96
 0.12

 5.20 0.00
Total 18.30
 0.00 0.00
Minerals and trace elements
 344.00 54.00
 283.00 523.00
 3.90 4.72
 137.00 177.00
 11.00 2.00
 408.00 429.00
 0.47 0.63
 5.49 4.92
 0.10
 2.30 3.97
 0.03
 160.00
 44.00
Limitations
a. The sample size small when compared to the actual
population.
b. The study is limited by its reliance on retrospective
self-report measures.
Conclusion

diseases and malnutrition. The consumption of ragi is associated
with reduction of total plasma cholesterol, post-prandial blood
glucose, obesity, atherosclerosis,development of cancer, rickets
and osteoporosis. Ragi is superior to oats in bioavailability
of minerals. The climatic conditions in India does not favour

has favourable growing conditions, which makes it economically
affordable than oats. Our study revealed that the ignorance
  
Hence it is important to create awareness among the people

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1.     .
Universities Press, India, p. 21.
2.         
value of Indian foods. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of
Medical Research, India, p. 156.
3. Radhika G, Sathya RM, Ganesan A, Saroja R, Vijayalakshmi P, et al.
 
       

4. 
grain consumption and the metabolic syndrome in urban Asian
       

5.        
nutritional status of rural population and prevalence of hypertension
among adults in rural areas. NNMB Technical Report 24. National
Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, India, pp.
1-166.
6.         

7. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference 28 slightly
revised May 2016. New Zealand, pp. 1-2.
8.      β-glucan
alters intestinal viscosity and reduces plasma cholesterol concentration

9.          
lowering effects in hamsters of β-glucan-enriched barley fractions,
dehulled whole barley, rice bran, and oat bran and their combinations.
Cereal Chem 70: 435-440.
10. 
effect of whole oat on aberrant crypt foci formation and colon tumor

11.        
        
Blackwell Science, UK, pp. 168-170.

How to cite this article: Shaji S, Sripriya S. A Comparative Kap Study on Ragi, A Forgotten Wonder Grain with Oats among South Indian Families. Curre
Res Diabetes & Obes J. 2017; 3(1): 555590. DOI: 10.19080/CRDOJ.2017.3.555601.
004
Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal
12.     
   

13.         
in         
Oxford: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, UK, pp. 42-51.
14. 
treatment on lipid stability in processed oats. Journal of Cereal Science

15.            

on nutrition and anaemia status in Tanzanian children. Tanzan Health

16.        
Characterization and their nutraceutical potential. American Journal

17.        
 

18.          
alkyl and alkylresorcinol and avenanthramides in commercial grain

19.      
Regulation of vascular endothelial function by procyanidin-rich foods

20.  
    
526.
21.         
    

22.          
       

23.     
          
constituents. Thesis University of Mysore, India.
24. Shobana S, Krishnaswamy K, Sudha V, Malleshi NG, Anjana RM, et
       
 

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DOI: 10.19080/CRDOJ.2017.3.555601