CONCLUSIONS Pasta in the context of low-GI dietary patterns does not adversely affect adiposity and even reduces body weight and BMI compared with higher-GI dietary patterns .
OBJECTIVE Carbohydrate staples such as pasta have been implicated in the obesity epidemic .
It is unclear whether pasta contributes to weight gain or like other low-glycaemic index ( GI ) foods contributes to weight loss .
We synthesis ed the evidence of the effect of pasta on measures of adiposity .
An 18-mo randomized trial of a low-glycemic-index diet and weight change in Brazilian women.
BACKGROUND Despite interest in the glycemic index diets as an approach to weight control , few long-term evaluations are available . OBJECTIVE The objective was to investigate the long-term effect of a low-glycemic-index ( LGI ) diet compared with that of a high-glycemic-index ( HGI ) diet ; all other dietary components were equal . DESIGN After a 6-wk run-in , we r and omly assigned 203 healthy women [ body mass index ( in kg/m2 ) : 23 - 30 ] aged 25 - 45 y to an LGI or an HGI diet with a small energy restriction . The primary outcome measure was weight change at 18 mo . Secondary outcomes included hunger and fasting insulin and lipids . RESULTS Despite requiring a run-in and the use of multiple incentives , only 60 % of the subjects completed the study . The difference in glycemic index between the diets was approximately 35 - 40 units ( 40 compared with 79 ) during all 18 mo of follow-up , and the carbohydrate intake from energy remained at approximately 60 % in both groups . The LGI group had a slightly greater weight loss in the first 2 mo of follow-up ( -0.72 compared with -0.31 kg ) , but after 12 mo of follow-up both groups began to regain weight . After 18 mo , the weight change was not significantly different ( P = 0.93 ) between groups ( LGI : -0.41 kg ; HGI : -0.26 kg ) . A greater reduction was observed in the LGI diet group for triacylglycerol ( difference = -16.4 mg/dL ; P = 0.11 ) and VLDL cholesterol ( difference = -3.7 mg/dL ; P = 0.03 ) . CONCLUSIONS Long-term weight changes were not significantly different between the HGI and LGI diet groups ; therefore , this study does not support a benefit of an LGI diet for weight control . Favorable changes in lipids confirmed previous results
CONCLUSIONS Pasta in the context of low-GI dietary patterns does not adversely affect adiposity and even reduces body weight and BMI compared with higher-GI dietary patterns .
OBJECTIVE Carbohydrate staples such as pasta have been implicated in the obesity epidemic .
It is unclear whether pasta contributes to weight gain or like other low-glycaemic index ( GI ) foods contributes to weight loss .
We synthesis ed the evidence of the effect of pasta on measures of adiposity .