Are Millets More Effective in Managing Hyperlipidaemia and Obesity than Major Cereal Staples? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 11 randomized controlled trials to analyze the efficacy of the millet-based diets compared to other staple-based diets on the blood lipid profile and BMI. This work was well performed to strengthen the evidence of the benefits of the millet-based human diets. I have a few minor comments as follows:

1. Abstract: Please present the results about the effects of the consumption of millets compared to other staples on obesity.
2. Introduction: Although BMI was the secondary outcome in this study, the author should add a review question about this to highlight the obesity aspect. In addition, please provide the evidence reporting the effects of millets on BMI and/or obesity.

3. Discussion: Please present and discuss about the quantity and the frequency of the millet-based diets in the included studies, thereby suggest some implications for the dietary guidelines to improve the blood lipid profile.   

Author Response

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 11 randomized controlled trials to analyze the efficacy of the millet-based diets compared to other staple-based diets on the blood lipid profile and BMI. This work was well performed to strengthen the evidence of the benefits of the millet-based human diets. I have a few minor comments as follows:

Thank you very much for your time and useful comments. We have addressed all your comments and revised the manuscript. The response to each comment follows.

1. Abstract: Please present the results about the effects of the consumption of millets compared to other staples on obesity.

 

The suggestion has been incorporated into the revised abstract.

 

2. Introduction: Although BMI was the secondary outcome in this study, the author should add a review question about this to highlight the obesity aspect. In addition, please provide the evidence reporting the effects of millets on BMI and/or obesity.

 

The comment has been incorporated in Lines 54-56 and 60-61.

3. Discussion: Please present and discuss about the quantity and the frequency of the millet-based diets in the included studies, thereby suggest some implications for the dietary guidelines to improve the blood lipid profile.   

We have included the dietary recommendations in Lines 229-231, and 234-237.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Overall Comments

This paper carried out one meta-analysis of the effects of the consumption of millets on hyperlipidaemia and obesity by analysing millets against other staple grains using the difference-in-differences method. Finally, 11 studies were included in present study. In general, this topic is interesting and has policy implications in the future, and the paper is also well organized. However, some parts of the paper need to be strengthened for publication.

Specific comments

1. The main concern is the data adopted in this study. There are quite few studies in the study. And other influential factors such as the region are necessary to take into consideration as the diet may highly differentiated across countries and regions. And those important factors, together with publication bias would then have strong impacts on the estimation.
2. The paper all needs to follow the meta-analysis and indicates the detailed process of removing the publication bias and characteristics of the selected studies
3. Proofreading is highly recommended for the publication consideration.

Author Response

This paper carried out one meta-analysis of the effects of the consumption of millets on hyperlipidaemia and obesity by analysing millets against other staple grains using the difference-in-differences method. Finally, 11 studies were included in present study. In general, this topic is interesting and has policy implications in the future, and the paper is also well organized. However, some parts of the paper need to be strengthened for publication.

Thank you very much for providing useful comments. We have addressed all your comments and revised the manuscript. The response to each comment follows.

Specific comments

1. The main concern is the data adopted in this study. There are quite few studies in the study. And other influential factors such as the region are necessary to take into consideration as the diet may highly differentiated across countries and regions. And those important factors, together with publication bias would then have strong impacts on the estimation.

 

Thanks for the valid comment. We agree and acknowledge the relatively small sample size as one of the limitations, especially the effects on the BMI. The geographical concentration has been mentioned as a limitation in Lines 248-249 and 253-255. 

 

2. The paper all needs to follow the meta-analysis and indicates the detailed process of removing the publication bias and characteristics of the selected studies

 

The comment has been addressed. The characteristics of the eligible studies have been provided in Table 2 as a supplementary table.

 

3. Proofreading is highly recommended for the publication consideration.

 

The manuscript has been edited by a professional editor.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.