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Pasta Doesn't Make You Fat. True or False?
Nutrition | August 07, 2016
Someone posted an article on Facebook the other day. The article was from Real Simple magazine and the title read, ‘Science Says: Pasta Won’t Make You Fat‘. intrigued, I clicked on the link and discovered the information as based on a recent Italian study published in the Nutrition and Diabetes journal.
The study focused on the correlation between regular pasta intake and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio. BMI is is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by his or her height in meters squared. (If you’d like to find out your own BMI, here’s a calculator so you don’t have to do any horrible math 😉 Waist-to-hip ratio is a measurement tool that looks at the proportion of fat stored on your waist, hips and rear end.
So basically, the researchers tried to find out if people who ate a lot of pasta were overweight or not.
Real Simple says, “The researchers found that pasta consumption was associated with a lower BMI and is not linked to a person being obese or overweight.”
Secondly, after reading through the actual study, it looks like all of the people in the study submitted the information over the phone. Meaning that no one measured or weighed these people. Instead they were trusted to be honest with the reporting of their weight and relative health to the researchers. Now, I’m not calling all those lovely people liars. I’m just wondering how factual all that information is. Often we tend to name our weight or measurements as slightly lower than they are. But that’s all just an assumption on my part.
Finally (and most importantly in my opinion) dried, boxed pasta is made from semolina flour. That’s just your basic white flour. Harvard Health Publications tells us that, “The bolus of blood sugar that accompanies a meal or snack of highly refined carbohydrates increases levels of inflammatory messengers called cytokines.” The publication goes on to say, “Inflammation doesn’t happen on its own. It is the body’s response to a host of modern irritations like smoking, lack of exercise, high-fat and high-calorie meals, and highly processed foods.”
Chronic inflammation can lead to illnesses, fatigue, even heart attacks and strokes.
So, Real Simple, maybe pasta doesn’t make Italians following a basic Mediterranean diet “fat”. But I plan on avoiding it or earning it with my workouts for far more important reasons.
What are your feelings about pasta? Is it a regular part of your diet? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Private Member |
colorado springs, co
A recent study proved that the Italian were the slimmer people in Europe!!! they follow the mediterranean diet! one of the most balanced diet I guess.
Private Member |
God I haven’t had pasta in soooo long. Now I want some! Thanks a lot! 😉 lol
Private Member |
I love your workouts, but when it comes to nutrition, we are not on the same page. But that is totally ok, cause we all do what works best for us. I am a high carb vegan. I eat pasta, bread, or potatoes with every meal. I have never felt better then being on this lifestyle. I also think I’m an Ectomorph, so that probably contributes to my love for carbs.
Private Member |
toronto, canada
Yum! Nothing beats good pasta! I try to keep it to workout-earned or in social situations when we’re celebrating (same goes for pizza, nachos and all those delicious simple carbs). I don’t however workout-earn all my carbs. I include more complex ones like oats, sweet potatoes, quinoa, ect in my typical meals. Does anyone else take that same approach?
I’m finding it a good balance to keep me satisfied and not over-eating compared to more strict low-carb, where I tend to get more cravings for sugar and salt and all those bad things.
Private Member |
curitiba, parana, brazil
Hi Claire…I also enjoy eating oats, sweet potatoes, manioc, quinoa, amaranth, lentils etc. I am vegetarian and need to eat few items to get some proteins also with carb. See you, take care.
Private Member |
curitiba, parana, brazil
I normally do not eat pasta but I like it. I eat only gluten free pasta made of rice and prepared at home. My son loves it and when I prepare for him, sometimes I also eat (like once in two weeks) with a light tomato sauce, or mushroom or cream cheese sauce. Few times, I prepare wholewheat pasta. I think if we pay attention to the quantity (portion size) there is no problem about eating pasta or any other meal.
Private Member |
ca, usa
I think we all spend too much time worrying about what we eat. The less I pay attention to all the studies etc… the better. We all know what the healthier choices are and what works for our body. Portion sizes are the key to staying lean, and for me, too strict of a diet backfires.
Private Member |
sydney, aus
I usually eat pasta once a week. I pick gluten free pastas made from rice and corn. I find it less bloating and inflammatory. There is absolutely nothing wrong with pasta if you are following a clean fresh diet with lots of veggies, fruit, greens and lean protein. Those food first, no harm in adding pasta as a second. This idea of carbs makes you fat/inflame your body is misleading and stupid!
Private Member |
I love pasta as much as everyone else, but I usually feel bloated the next day. I substitute zucchini for pasta, a tip you gave us a few years back in one of your recipes.
Private Member |
bulgaria
I love pasta! Can’t live without it! But I never overdose 😉 100 grams per meal once a week and can truly say that pasta doesn’t make me fat! Also I have a philosophy that when you are happy and in balance with your body and soul, don’t overdose, do exercises in daily basis, so one plate of paste can’t be worst! 🙂
Private Member |
rome, italy
I am Italian and of course i do eat pasta every single day.
I eat 4 portions of carbs every day, being 1 portion equal to 2 slices of bread or 80 gr of pasta/rise or 30 gr of mixed cereals. I generally prefer whole cereals (pasta, rise, …) which are by far better (and today many brands have very good quality). I do not eat meat, so my tipical pasta sausages are veggies or fish coocked in a very bit of olive oil and fresh tomatoes or sometimes cheese (especially real Parmigiano Reggiano or Ricotta) .
I exercise every day for 45-60 minutes.
In this way i do not put weight and i have energy for my daily routines. And I enjoy the meals!