African grains could unlock better health and business development‚ says expert

Indigenous grains like sorghum and millet could improve the diet of South Africans‚ who are eating fewer whole grains and more highly refined foods.

In addition‚ they could help develop small businesses‚ said Professor Gyebi Duodu‚ of the University of Pretoria’s Department of Food Science. “Rapid urbanisation in Africa has adversely affected people’s dietary choices; we are not eating that healthily anymore‚” said Professor Duodu.

“In the interest of convenience‚ people are eating fewer indigenous whole grains and more highly refined or energy-dense foods‚ which has brought about an increase in diet-related chronic disease – things like diabetes‚ cancer and so on.”

Africa boasts a wide variety of indigenous grains and other crops‚ which if consumed as whole grains could offer a healthier alternative to high-energy‚ high-glycaemic index (GI) foods made from highly refined wheat and maize. Examples of indigenous grains include sorghum‚ millet and teff.

“We've done a lot of the basic research‚ and the data indicates that these foods have very good potential health-promoting properties” he says. The nutritional benefits he is interested in are things like low GI‚ antioxidant activity‚ and nutrients like iron‚ zinc and vitamin A‚ commonly deficient in South African populations.

 “We are trying to draw people’s attention back to the positive aspects of our indigenous grains.” Duodu said if more research into the positive effects indigenous grain have on our health was done‚ there would be more opportunities for businesses looking for a proudly South African product to invest in or manufacture.

He said that there was potential for entrepreneurs to buy into the concept and foresaw that teaching these businesses how to process the grains into different forms would introduce new skills and even generate employment opportunities.

He has been working with colleagues – at Tshwane University of Technology‚ University of Limpopo and the North West University – at developing foods such as porridges and beverages from indigenous crops.