(WHDH) – A new study is suggesting that eating pasta can actually help you lose weight.
According to the study, which was published in BMJ Open, eating pasta as a part of a healthy low-glycemic index diet instead of other carbohydrates can help avoid spikes in blood sugar.
Unlike other refined carbs which are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, pasta has a low glycemic index, so it takes longer to digest, and it doesn’t impact blood sugar as much.
Researches conducted 30 trials with 2,500 people who ate pasta instead of other carbs during a special diet. The study found that participants who ate an average of three cups of pasta per week actually lost weight.
“The study found that pasta didn’t contribute to weight gain or increase in body fat,” said lead author John Sievenpiper, a clinician scientist with St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, in a statement. “In fact, analysis actually showed a small weight loss. So contrary to concerns, perhaps pasta can be part of a healthy diet such as a low GI diet.”
“In weighing the evidence, we can now say with some confidence that pasta does not have an adverse effect on body weight outcomes when it is consumed as part of a healthy dietary pattern,” Sievenpiper added.
Researchers said more studies must be conducted to see if pasta has the same effect if included in other healthy diets.
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