Cereals are the main source of food for humans, not only to provide the necessary large number of nutrients and minerals and other micronutrients, but also offers a variety of bioactive components that are beneficial to human health, such as polyphenols, carotenoids and so on. Previous studies showed that processing and eating methods of cereals could produce different effect on its bioactive components. The influence of cooking, baking, extrusion processing and micronization on antioxidant activity and content of the different form′s bioactive components in cereals was reviewed, in order to guide further research, and provide a theoretical basis for the people′s scientific diet and cereals processing industry.