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 .
High-carbohydrate-low-glycaemic index dietary advice improves glucose disposition index in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.
Controversy exists about the optimal amount and source of dietary carbohydrate for managing insulin resistance . Therefore , we compared the effects on insulin sensitivity ( SI ) , pancreatic responsivity ( AIRglu ) and glucose disposition index of dietary advice aim ed at reducing the amount or altering the source of dietary carbohydrate in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance ( IGT ) . Subjects were r and omized to high-carbohydrate-high-glycaemic index ( GI ) ( high-GI , n 11 ) , high-carbohydrate-low-GI ( low-GI , n 13 ) , or low-carbohydrate-high-monounsaturated fat ( MUFA , n 11 ) dietary advice , with SI , AIRglu and DI measured using a frequently sample d , intravenous glucose tolerance test before and after 4 months treatment . Carbohydrate and fat intakes and diet GI , respectively , were : high-GI , 53 % , 28 % , 83 ; low-GI , 55 % , 25 % , 76 ; MUFA , 47 % , 35 % , 82 . Weight changes on each diet differed significantly from each other : high-GI , -0.49 ( sem 0.29 ) kg ; low-GI , -0.19 ( sem 0.40 ) kg ; MUFA + 0.27 ( sem 0.45 ) kg . Blood lipids did not change , but glycated haemoglobin increased significantly on MUFA , 0.02 ( sem 0.11 ) % , relative to low-GI , -0.19 ( sem 0.08 ) % , and high-GI , -0.13 ( sem 0.14 ) % . Diastolic blood pressure fell by 8 mmHg on low-GI relative to MUFA ( P=0.038 ) . Although SI and AIRglu did not change significantly , DI , a measure of the ability of beta-cells to overcome insulin resistance by increasing insulin secretion , increased on low-GI by > 50 % ( P=0.02 ) . After adjusting for baseline values , the increase in DI on low-GI , 0.17 ( sem 0.07 ) , was significantly greater than those on MUFA , -0.09 ( sem 0.08 ) and high-GI , -0.03 ( sem 0.02 ) ( P=0.019 ) . Thus , the long-term effects of altering the source of dietary carbohydrate differ from those of altering the amount . High-carbohydrate-low-GI dietary advice improved beta-cell function in subjects with IGT , and may , therefore , be useful in the management of IGT
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 .