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Pasta Doesn't Make You Fat
April 2018
Welcome to the new issue of The Truth About Pasta, the monthly newsletter from the
International Pasta Organization. Each month's newsletter features a new and different topic -- all pointing to The Truth About Pasta. The truth is...pasta is healthy, sustainable, convenient, delicious, affordable, doesn't make you fat, and much, much more. Be sure to look for each new issue, with more topics and information.
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Worldwide, the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016. During this same time period, junk food has become more readily available, and people have moved away from traditional cuisines.
Some celebrities avoid carbohydrates, but their fad diets are misguided, and sometimes unsafe. It would be a shame to miss out on complex carbohydrates like pasta, especially if you're looking for something that will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout your lifetime. No single food or nutrient is to blame for obesity. Rather, it is the pattern of what we eat over time that matters most.
If y
ou're ready to take back control over your weight and health, cooking a healthy pasta meal is a great place to start.
Pasta is a traditional food that has been eaten for centuries and is part of the highly acclaimed Mediterranean diet. According to Keri Gans, MS, RDN:
"The Mediterranean diet is a well-balanced way of eating.
It doesn't demonize any food groups. Instead, it focuses on eating every food (like pasta) in moderation."
Because pasta digests slowly and pairs so well with other healthy ingredients like vegetables and seafood, pasta meals are nutritionists' best kept secret. Keri Gans recommends including 2-3 servings of vegetables every time you make a pasta dish, to add more fiber.
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Experts Say:
In a
new study in the
British Medical Journal, titled "
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 randomised controlled trials in adults,"
r
esearchers from the University of Toronto, Canada, analyzed 32 randomized clinical trial comparisons involving 2,448 adults to see how low glycemic diets with pasta relate to weight. Here is what the study found:
"
Pasta in the context of low-GI dietary patterns does not adversely affect adiposity and even reduces body weight and BMI compared with higher-GI dietary patterns."
The researchers also write that, "
These results are important given the negative messages with which the public has been inundated regarding carbohydrates, messages which appear to be influencing their food choices, as evidenced by recent reductions in carbohydrate intake, especially in pasta intake. Contrary to these concerns, the available evidence shows that when pasta is consumed in the context of low-GI dietary patterns, there is no weight gain but rather marginally clinically significant weight loss (>0.5kg)."
In other words, not only does pasta not make you fat,
it even may help you lose weight!
Choosing healthy, low Glycemic foods, like pasta, is a useful nutrition strategy. People who are overweight are encouraged to choose high quality, low Glycemic Index foods, according to the
consensus of scientists worldwide at the 2013 Glycemic Summit. That's because low Glycemic index foods, like pasta, digest more slowly, keeping you fuller for longer.
Nutrition experts alsofind that healthy diets can have a wide range of carbohydrates, fat, and protein, so long as they are not excessive in calories, and are full of wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
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Did you Know?
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Most traditional dried pasta today is made roughly the same way that it was more than 700 years ago: using only durum wheat semolina and water.
For more adventurous eaters, supermarkets also offer an assortment of new pasta shapes, varieties, and flavors. Whole grain pastas, which offer more fiber, are becoming quite popular, and can be made with whole wheat, spelt, and even quinoa flours. There are also pastas flavored with spinach, beets, and other vegetables.
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Video of the Month
This video explains why pasta does not make you fat.
After watching the video, test your knowledge in the Ted-Ed lesson.
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Recipe of the Month
To celebrate #CarbonaraDay on April 6, Chef Luciano Monosilio, considered the King of Carbonara, revealed the secrets of his recipe that remains unbeaten in taste tests. Can't wait to get in the kitchen and give it a try?! Enjoy his
video tutorial for #CarbonaraDay
Considering that it has been proven that pasta doesn't make you fat, it's okay to indulge every now and then. Carbonara is not a dish for every day of the week, but there are many lighter variations possible.
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