Research

Hormonal

The Glycemic Index (GI) of cereal products is primarily determined by the ratio of Slowly Available Glucose (SAG) to Rapidly Available Glucose (RAG), with high SAG content (often resulting from ungelatinized starch) significantly lowering the GI.

To lower the glycemic impact of cereal products, look for those with high Slowly Available Glucose (SAG). This is often achieved through processing methods that leave starch ungelatinized (like certain biscuits) rather than fully gelatinized (like many breakfast cereals and breads). High SAG leads to a slower glucose release and a lower Glycemic Index.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The GI and II values of the cereal products investigated can be explained by the RAG and SAG contents. A high SAG content identifies low-GI foods that are rich in slowly released carbohydrates for which health benefits have been proposed.
Klaus Englyst et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2003

Why this rating

Controlled clinical trial with 23 products and multiple healthy subjects, using standard GI protocols.

Source

Glycaemic index of cereal products explained by their content of rapidly and slowly available glucose

Klaus Englyst et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2003

DOI 10.1079/bjn2002786

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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