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doi:10.1094/CFW-55-5-0231 |  VIEW ARTICLE

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Rye, a Healthy Cereal Full of Dietary Fiber

P. Åman, A. A. M. Andersson, A. Rakha, and R. Andersson. Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. Cereal Foods World 55(5):231-234.

It is now well established that rye is a unique cereal with a very high content of dietary fiber (about 20%) and an interesting dietary fiber composition. Its main components are arabinoxylan, fructan (including fructooligosaccharides), cellulose, beta-glucan, and Klason lignin. About 40% of the dietary fiber, mainly arabinoxylan and fructan, is extractable and rye is therefore an outstanding source of this type of fiber. Both extractable beta-glucan and arabinoxylan are high-molecular weight polymers with profound effects on the rheological properties in dough or digesta. beta-glucan is relatively sensitive to food processing, such as baking, while arabinoxylan seems to be more resistant. In the Nordic countries, whole grain rye is used in sour dough bread, crisp bread, porridge, and breakfast cereals, contributing to a significant portion of the fiber intake and possibly having several positive health effects.

 

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