Study Finds Biofortified Millet Safe for Toddler Gut Health

A nine-month study conducted in Mumbai slums found that pearl millet biofortified with iron and zinc does not cause harmful changes to the gut microbiome in toddlers aged 12 to 18 months.

Researchers from Cornell University and SNDT Women’s University tested the crop on 223 children, noting that the biofortified variety contains nearly three times the iron and zinc of standard millet.

The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that biofortified crops offer a safer, self-sustaining alternative to traditional iron supplements, which are known to cause digestive side effects like constipation and diarrhoea.