Pasta's Bad Reputation Debunked: It Is Actually Not Fattening

Pasta, the fan favorite comfort food and date night dish, has often been associated with high calories, so much so health experts have limited pasta consumption in fad diets.

However, a new study from the Department of Epidemiology, IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy, contradicted the popular notion pasta was fattening — instead, the researchers reported pasta consumption was actually associated with a reduced likelihood of both general and abdominal obesity.

In the study published in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes, the researchers examined approximately 23,000 people and their eating habits through two epidemiological studies.

Results showed that higher pasta intake was associated with better adhesion to the Mediterranean diet, and supported researechers's theory that pasta had a protective role on obesity. Furthermore, pasta intake expressed as grams per day appeared to make a difference in overall health.

According to the data collected, “We have seen that consumption of pasta, contrary to what many think, is not associated with an increase in body weight, rather the opposite. Our data show that enjoying pasta according to individuals’ needs contributes to a healthy body mass index, lower waist circumference, and better waist-hip ration,” study authors noted in a news release.

Pasta is a fundamental element of the Mediterranean diet, considered one of the healthiest nutritional regimen particularly for weight control. As such, researchers stress that consumed in moderation, the dough used for pasta “is good to your health”.