Eat pasta, lose weight, say Barilla-funded scientists (again)
Eating more high-carb pasta can help you lose weight. That is, if you believe this very peculiar article:
- Newsweek: Eating pasta linked to weight loss in new study
- Popular Science: Worried pasta will make you fat? Spaghettaboutit.
- BMJ Open: 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
The strangeness starts with the title: “Effect of pasta in the context of low-glycaemic index dietary patterns”. What does this mean? Well, the researchers have looked around for studies testing whether eating pasta has any special effect on people’s weight. Apparently, they found zero such studies.
So instead of actually looking at pasta, they decided to look at studies testing the effect of a low-glycemic diet (including pasta) compared to a higher-glycemic diet. And then the low-glycemic diets did better. But was that because of the pasta, or despite the pasta? We don’t know. In fact, there’s no way to know if the pasta resulted in weight loss or weight gain for people eating it. And yet, the title focuses on pasta – why??
It reminds me of people saying that Coca-Cola can be “part of a healthy, balanced diet”. Perhaps the unhealthy part that balances out the healthy foods…
In strange cases like this, it may be helpful to follow the money. Several of the authors of the pasta study happen to report – in what may be the most extensive list of conflicts of interest ever – having received money from Barilla, the world’s largest pasta maker:
Conflicts of interest
Earlier
Pasta keeps you slim according to bizarre study by Barilla – fools major media
People are onto the food industry more than we think.
It does not tell that you can eat pasta as much as you want but simply that:
if you eat 1/2 cup of cooked pasta 3 times a week within a Low GI diet you should not pick up weight.
As long as the total carbs remains reasonable (less than 80 gr/day) you will not get fat.
1/2 cup of pasta is approximately 20 gr. On that day you still have 60 gr. to use.
They are talking about introducing pasta in small quantities as a side dish. This is how they eat pasta in Italy.
This is completely different than what we are use in North America. Large portion (4 cups) of pasta served with a meatball sauce (That contains sugar) eaten with few slices of garlic white bread.
If you are on a Liberal Low carb diet. Pasta in moderation can be part of your diet.
PS. I don't eat pasta as I am on a Keto diet.
Besides the fact that pasta contains dairy, one of my food sensitivities, wheat was the biggest cause of my weight gain. I may have family members who can eat pasta late at night with no weight gain, but that's not me. As much as I'd like to have a plate of homemade Cavatelli or Orzo with butter, fresh basil and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, being healthy is more important. I've found ways to use shaved cauliflower and zucchini zoodles and lasagna as the bases for my pasta recipes. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!
Same goes for pizza. Just plain awful !
Leave the pasta on the supermarket shelf.