Researchers at theUniversity of Surrey have found that eating pasta that's been allowed to cool causes a lower glucose spike than eating freshly-cooked hot pasta. Great, but whilst pasta salads can be yummy, sometimes cold pasta just doesn't hit the spot like hot pasta does.
Discover our latest podcast
To eat cold pasta or not to eat cold pasta?
As a result, the BBC decided to take this research one step further on their show Trust Me I'm A Doctor. They carried out an experiment measuring the glucose spikes caused by freshly-cooked hot pasta, cold pasta, and pasta reheated in the microwave.The results were not at all what they expected.
Whilst they anticipated that the cold pasta would cause lower glucose spikes, they were shocked to discover that the reheated pasta caused even lower levels of glucose to be produced. According to the experts, and although there are some foods that you should really avoid reheating, it seems pasta isn't one of them and that reheating it actually turns it into a 'resistant starch—'lowering blood glucose levels and making you feel fuller for longer.
Turning carbs into healthy fibre
Dr. Chris Van Tulleken who worked on the experiment said:
We've made a brand new discovery on Trust Me I'm A Doctor and it's something that could simply and easily improve health. We can convert a carb-loaded meal into a more healthy fibre-loaded one instead without changing a single ingredient, just the temperature. In other words our leftovers could be healthier for us than the original meal.
Check out the video above to find out more!
