The One Important Thing to Note About That Pasta Study
Sometimes when you least expect it, life hands you a gift. Yesterday, that gift was a scientific study stating that pasta is actually good for you. Okay, not like “green juice and quinoa” good for you, but not quite as bad as we all thought. It was a great day. We celebrated by immediately boiling water and popping open a jar of pesto. We hate to be the bearer of bad news… buuuut it appears as though there might be a crucial issue with that glorious scientific finding. It was paid for by Barilla. As in Barilla, the pasta company.
The study’s authors claim Barilla had “no role in study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data,” but here’s the thing: Is a study about how pasta will affect your health that was paid for by a pasta brand really going to come out negative? Probably not. We’re not saying the findings are false, but there are definitely a few factors in the study that could have pushed the results toward a more favorable finding.
For starters, the subjects they observed that experienced lower BMIs and smaller waistlines were all following a Mediterranean diet, which calls for reduced meat consumption, more plant-based foods and exercise. So they weren’t just chowing down on a plate of lasagna every day.
Additionally, the serving size noted in the study is significantly less than what we typically eat. In the study, the largest serving of pasta listed was three ounces, which is about a third of a cup. So, sorry, but those washboard abs probably aren’t going to show up on a diet of fettuccine and spaghetti. However, it is still nice to know that pasta won’t sabotage everything when mixed in with a healthy diet.
Sounds like the takeaway here is still: Everything in moderation.
What pasta dish is your go-to? Share with us on Twitter @BritandCo.
(Photo via Getty)
