It is always associated with the mind that preventing the intake of carbohydrates and sweets is the best way to lose weight, and perhaps pasta is the first example of carbohydrates that jumps in thought;

This delicious dish is diverse in images and flavors, and is always accused of gaining weight.

But the good news is that pasta does not cause weight gain in the way we might imagine, according to a group of studies that tested the relationship between pasta and obesity.

An Italian study found that pasta does not contribute to obesity, in fact, it is linked to a lower body mass index (BMI).

In a survey conducted on more than 23,000 people by the Epidemiology Department of the Hospital Institute in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy;

Researchers have found this key ingredient in the Italian diet is linked to a reduced risk of abdominal obesity.

Before looking at this as a green light to load up on common carbs — which are often avoided in some diets due to their gluten content — it's important to note that the study doesn't say eating pasta causes a lower BMI, just that it's linked to it.

The GI of pasta is lower than that of breakfast cereals and potatoes (pixels)

Italians also eat small amounts of pasta, which is an entree rather than a main course.

"By analyzing the measurement data of participants and their dietary habits, we saw that, contrary to what many people believed, pasta consumption was not associated with increased body weight, but on the contrary, our data showed that enjoying pasta according to individuals' needs contributes to BMI," says first author of the study, Jorge Pons. health, lower waist circumference and a better waist-to-hip ratio.

This wasn't the only study that cleared pasta of obesity;

Another study revealed that eating pasta as part of a low glycemic index (GI) diet led to modest weight loss, compared to high glycemic index foods.

Low glycemic index foods do not cause blood sugar to rise.

Examples include oatmeal, legumes, nuts, and most fruits.

White bread, sweets, and other foods that contain refined carbohydrates are foods that are high in sugar.

"Although pasta is a refined carbohydrate, it has a low glycemic index," said study author Laura Chiavaroli, Ph.D.

The 32 research study, conducted on 2,448 adults, looked at the effect of pasta on global and regional measures of body fat in the context of a low-glycemic index diet.

The study found that people who ate pasta lost nearly half a pound over the course of 12 weeks, compared to people who followed a diet with higher glycemic index foods.

The study found a similar pattern of weight loss over 24 weeks;

The researchers declared, "This finding is of particular interest because several nutritional studies have been successful in demonstrating short-term but not long-term weight loss."

Eating pasta as part of a low glycemic index diet leads to minimal weight loss (pixels)

Nutrition experts acknowledge that pasta can differ widely from other types of carbohydrates, not only in shape but also in ingredients and how they are processed. The study also found that pasta contains much less sugar than white bread.

Pasta has a glycemic index similar to other high-fiber carbohydrates such as oats, and is lower than commonly eaten foods such as breakfast cereals and potatoes.

A healthy amount of pasta

Elena Filippo, Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, noted that eating pasta as part of a diet low on the glycemic index - such as the Mediterranean diet - may make you feel full, and may have good effects on blood sugar.

But it is important for the general public to understand that this does not mean that a person can eat as much pasta as they want and will not gain weight.

Filippo added that it also does not mean that we can eat pasta with cream and not gain weight either, and added that everything in moderation will maintain the weight without gaining.

Nutrition experts point out that the right amount of healthy pasta - which does not cause an increase in blood sugar and therefore weight gain - is the size of half a cup or 28 grams without adding cream or cream.