Let’s celebrate pasta – the most loved food, the most beautiful Italian and the best friend of tomato sauce and your waistline!

A study carried out in Italy claims pasta is not fattening!

Regardless of being delicious and a favourite food for so many, pasta has gotten a bad reputation with respect to its benefits in healthy eating. The common perception is that dough makes you fat because of all the calories and carbohydrates which stick directly to your waistline. However, this might not be entirely true, a study by the Epidemiology Department of the Italian I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed Institute claims.

The scientific team carried out the study

amongst more than 23,000 Italians – men and women over 18. The aim of the questionnaire was to find out what the participants had eaten during the 24 hours prior – including the time and place of the meal, as well as its detailed description. The weight and height of the participants was also recorded.

The results show no correlation

between being overweight and regular consumption of pasta. On the contrary – according to the study, pasta consumption leads to decrease in obesity risk, to optimum Body Mass Index BMI), smaller waistline and better hip-to-waist ratio.  In other words – great news for all pasta lovers!

The secret is in the balance.

For a long time it’s been known that the Mediterranean diet is healthy and that pasta is an integral part of Italian cuisine. What is often forgotten however, is that in Italian cuisine, pasta is merely a starter, rather than a main course. The Italians love to eat pasta often but in small quantities. Fish, olive oil and fresh vegetables have a much more prominent place in the Mediterranean diet.

The Conclusion

Pasta should not be automatically included in the black list of unhealthy foods because – when consumed in moderation – it has a beneficial effect on the human organism:

  • Pasta is a continuous source of good carbs which supply most of the glucose to the body, which in turn is extremely important for the proper functioning of the brain, the red blood cells, the muscles and the organs.
  • Pasta is not white food. Unlike white bread, which is made of white flour, pasta is made of hard semolina and is categorized as yellow food.
  • Pasta has a low glucose index (41) which is close to that of pears, beans and nuts. Thanks to this, after consuming pasta there’s no sudden spike in blood sugar levels.
  • Pasta is a great diet food, especially when combined with vegetables, fish, olive oil, cheese, tomato sauce, beans, meat. It is no coincidence it’s an integral part of the Mediterranean diet.
  • Pasta is a must in a balanced diet. The most popular theory about proper eating states that 45-65% of what we eat should be carbohydrates, 15-20% protein and 30-35%  – fats.