According to the Independent Online, British TV series ‘Trust me, I’m a Doctor’ has claimed that they have discovered the process of re-heating pasta reduces the rise in blood glucose making the carbohydrate much healthier.
When people eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood. In response, the body releases a rush of the hormone insulin in order to get the blood glucose levels back down. If you are insulin resistant or carb-resistant then this is where the problems start with weight gain and general health as the more insulin resistant you are, the more fat you store.
The TV series has claimed that cooking pasta, then allowing it to cool down and heating it again transforms it into a “resistant starch” instead of a sugar because it becomes resistant to the normal enzymes in the gut that break down carbohydrates. So rather than heighten the body’s blood-glucose level, re-heated pasta could actually reduce it.
Well this would be fantastic news indeed for carb-conscious dieters who find it hard to give up their beloved pasta.
According to The Independent: The BBC show demonstrated that cooking, cooling and then reheating pasta, turning it into ‘resistant starch’, reduced the rise in volunteers’ blood glucose by 50 per cent.
We don’t suggest that you rush out and buy trays of lasagne to re-heat until further scientific proof backs up the claims of the TV show – but certainly do read the article posted on the Independent to read more about the method of discovery that led to these claims.
According to the article the research was conducted under the guidance of Dr Denise Robertson, a senior nutrition scientists from the University of Surrey, who is confident it is robust science – despite the small sample size.
Dr Robertson will continue the research with funding from Diabetes UK.
What advocators of the Banting LCHF diet would make of these claims will be interesting to note – but pasta lovers watch this space!
If you are a fan of pasta you can check out our pasta hub full of delicious recipes.
Some of Food24’s favourite pasta recipes include:
Macaroni cheese with creamy bolognaise