The popularity of low-carb diets shows that many people think of carbohydrates as bad fattening foods. But that doesn’t seem to apply to everyone. Studies show that pasta does not make you fat and even helps you lose weight – but under certain conditions. Their effect on health also seems to be more positive than expected.
Potatoes, rice, pasta and baked goods should be avoided if you want to live a healthy life, maintain your weight or maybe even lose weight. According to studies, this cannot be said in general terms. They were able to show that pasta does not necessarily have to make you fat and is also less harmful to health than assumed. But one thing in advance: That doesn’t mean that you can now feast on pasta all the time without a guilty conscience.
Canadian study on the question: Do noodles make you fat?
In a 2018 Canadian meta-study, the St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto evaluated 30 randomized trials of pasta consumption. This included almost 2,500 subjects who ate pasta instead of other carbohydrates.1 The surprising result of the meta-study: Eating pasta did not lead to weight gain or a higher body fat percentage. «The analysis even showed a slight weight loss,» says the study’s lead author, Dr. John Sivenpiper.2
It depends on the glycemic index (Glyx).
But what distinguishes pasta from rice, potatoes and, for example, white bread? It’s the low glycemic index (Glyx). This expresses how much the blood sugar rises. Pure glucose provides the reference value of 100. spaghetti noodles (al dente cooked) come to a relatively low value of 45. This means that the blood sugar rises slowly and, as a result, so does the insulin, which ensures that the glucose obtained gets into the cells. Long-grain rice already has a value of 60, while boiled potatoes and white bread have a Glyx of 85. French fries and fried potatoes even have a very high value of 95.
Since insulin inhibits fat burning, you should avoid foods that have a high Glyx and thus cause a strong release of insulin. Wholemeal rice, but also wholemeal flour products already have a cheaper Glyx than their more processed relatives and are around 40-50. And the example of spaghetti with a value of 45 shows that they are better than potatoes and the like – and therefore pasta does not automatically have to make you fat.
Three small portions of pasta per week
Can you stuff yourself with pasta all day long without hesitation? Of course not. Although other carbohydrates were replaced by pasta dishes in the evaluated studies, the average was only 3.3 portions of pasta per week. A serving is just half a cup of cooked pasta, which is pretty little. And there is another important criterion to consider: In the evaluated studies, the test persons not only preferred pasta to other carbohydrates, but generally consumed foods with a low Glyx.
Under these three conditions, noodles do not make you fat
So can you actually lose weight with pasta? Apparently yes, according to the meta-study, but only if they:
- Are part of a low glycemic index diet
- replace other carbohydrates such as bread, rice and potatoes
- only eaten in moderation, i.e. in small portions and not too often.
That in turn doesn’t really sound like delicious pasta parties, but more like low carb – i.e. a diet with a low carbohydrate content.
US study on the question: Are noodles also healthy?
If you stick to a maximum of three portions per week, you will not only not get fat, but you may also be doing something good for your health. This is indicated by a more recent study from Brown University (Providence, USA) from 2020, in which 84,555 women aged 50 to 79 were examined.3 The scientists wanted to find out how eating pasta affected heart health, the risk of stroke and possible diabetes. It turned out that moderate pasta consumption (maximum three times a week) can actually reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. However, it was also the case here that the participating women left out other carbohydrate-containing foods such as fried potatoes and white bread. What the study also did not clarify: whether the positive health results can also be transferred to men and younger people.
Sources
- 1. Sievenpiper JL, Chiavaroli L, Kendall CWC et al. Effect of pasta in the context of low-glycaemic index dietary patterns on body weight and markers of adiposity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in adults. BMJ Journals (2018, accessed 08/20/2021)
- 2 Shepherd L Study suggests pasta can be part of a healthy diet without packing on the pounds. Unity Health Toronto (2018, accessed 08/20/2021)
- 3. Liu S, Huang M, Lo K et al. Pasta meal intake in relation to risks of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women: findings from the Women’s Health Initiative. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention, and Health(2020, accessed 08/20/2021)