Go order another red-sauced one, if you cannot resist pasta. Eating pasta does not add fat but actually helps to shed extra kilos. Eating the fundamental delicacy of Italian Mediterranean tradition- Pasta can lead to a decrease in the body mass index (BMI) as well as decrease the likelihood of both general and abdominal obesity, according to researchers.

George Pounis from IRCCS Neuromed Institute in Italy says, “Our data show that enjoying pasta according to individuals’ needs contributes to a healthy body mass index, lower waist circumference and better waist-hip ratio.” Mediterranean diets have always been known as one of the healthiest nutritional regimes, however, in recent years, pasta gained a bad reputation and was shunned as diets that leads to obesity.

“Mediterranean diet, consumed in moderation and respecting the variety of all its elements (pasta in the first place), is good to your health,” added Licia Iacoviello from Neuromed Institute. Pasta consumption is associated with better weight management in part because it often occurs as part of a healthy Mediterranean diet, said the paper published in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes.

A team examined over 23,000 people recruited in two large epidemiological studies, for the study. “By analysing data of the participants and their eating habits, we have seen that consumption of pasta, contrary to what many think, is not associated with an increase in body weight, rather the opposite,” explained Pounis.