Gelatinization is a process that occurs when starch granules are heated in a liquid, causing them to swell and burst, which results in the liquid thickening. This process breaks down the intermolecular bonds of starch molecules in the presence of water and heat, allowing the hydrogen bonding sites to engage more water, which irreversibly dissolves the starch granule in water. The process involves three main processes that happen to the starch granule: granule swelling, crystallite and double-helical melting, and amylose leaching. The gelatinization temperature depends on the amount of damaged starch granules, and there is an inverse correlation between gelatinization temperature and glycemic index. Gelatinization improves the availability of starch for amylase hydrolysis, so it is used in cooking to make the starch digestible or to thicken/bind water in roux, sauce, or soup/01%3A_Thickening_and_Concentrating_Flavors/1.05%3A_Gelatinization). Gelatinization is different from gelation, which is the removal of heat, such as ice cream is set when it is frozen.