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How nutrition works

Glycaemic control

How diet can influence blood glucose after eating.

Blood glucose rises to different degrees after a meal. Fibre and the type of carbohydrate play a role. Here you find the evidence – with evidence level and sources.

Nutrients & foods

  • Evidence: strong

    Banana

    • Replacing digestible starch in a meal with resistant starch from a suitable green-banana ingredient can reduce the blood-glucose rise after that meal. [1][2]

      Authorised EU claim

  • Evidence: strong

    Dietary fibre

    • Beta-glucans from oats or barley contribute to reducing the rise in blood glucose after a meal. [1][3]

      Authorised EU claim

  • Evidence: limitedmixed

    Magnesium

    • Magnesium supplements may slightly improve some blood-glucose measures in adults with diabetes or metabolic risk, but a dependable benefit is not established. [4]

      Evidence

  • Evidence: moderate

    Psyllium husk

    • Psyllium husk may reduce fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in adults with type 2 diabetes. [5]

      Evidence

Sources

  1. 01European Commission · 2012Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children's development and healthOpen source
  2. 02EFSA Journal · 2011Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to resistant starch and reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses (ID 681), “digestive health benefits” (ID 682) and “favours a normal colon metabolism” (ID 783) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2024
  3. 03EFSA Journal · 2025Beta-glucans from oats or barley and reduction of postprandial glycaemic responses: Modification of an authorised health claimDOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9630
  4. 042026Comprehensive Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-AnalysisOpen source
  5. 052020The effect of psyllium consumption on weight, body mass index, lipid profile, and glucose metabolism in diabetic patients: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPubMed 31919936Open source