Daily Times

We all loved to eat pasta, the fundamental component of Italian Mediterranean cuisine. A new research has revealed that people who eat pasta regularly may have better diet quality, greater intake of vitamin and minerals and can better manage blood sugar levels, as compared to those who doesn’t eat it.

Pasta is a low-sodium and cholesterol-free food with a low glycemic index, foods that helps to keep blood sugar levels in control.

Diane Welland, dietician and nutrition communications manager for the National Pasta Association, a US based organisation, said, “The study shows that pasta eaters have better quality diets than those who don’t eat pasta.”

According to the study, pasta eaters had a greater intake of nutrients and minerals that most people lack in their diets such as folate that helps the body form red blood cells and reduces the risk of defects during foetal growth –; iron – used to carry oxygen in the blood and aids in reducing anaemia –; magnesium – a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles – and dietary fibre – which helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and lower risk of heart disease, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

In addition, eating pasta also led to less intake of saturated fat – which can help lower the level of cholesterol in your blood to decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke – and less added sugar – like sucrose and high fructose corn syrup that contain a whole bunch of calories with no essential nutrients.

Welland added, “Pasta can be an effective building block for good nutrition, as it serves as a perfect delivery system for fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish and legumes,” Welland added.

The findings were presented at The Obesity Society’s annual meeting in New Orleans.

A team of researchers conducted a survey to examine the associations between pasta consumption, shortfall nutrient intakes as defined by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines and diet quality in comparison to non-pasta consumption in the US adults.