Italians Are the Thinnest Population in EU

Yep. According to data from Eurostat and the World Health Organization, Italians, as measured by Body Mass Index (BMI), are the least overweight people in the European Union.

What’s their secret? Low fat? Low carbs?

Nope!

Italians Eat the Most Pasta

You read that right.

Italians by far eat the most pasta of any country in the EU.

By some estimates they eat between 23 and 26 Kg (51 – 57 lbs) per person every year. Surveys show that Italians eat pasta many times a week. About 20 percent eat it everyday!

Is this not making any sense to you? Read on.

Al Dente Pasta

Could it be al dente pasta? Al dente means “to the tooth.” You have to chew it to swallow. It’s not mushy like oat meal. When you are ready to swallow, little chunks of pasta head for your gut, not mush.

Saggy, overcooked spaghetti.

Cook Pasta the Healthy Way

Because al dente pasta is digested much slower. It doesn’t cause a blood sugar spike like high glycemic index foods like white bread for example.

The Glycemic Index gives us an idea of how fast glucose from food enters the blood stream. For example, white bread has a Glycemic index of 70 to 100. Al dente pasta has a glycemic index of ~40.

Body doesn’t do well with spikes of glucose. It stores the excess as fat.

Italians have less excess body fat than any other country in the European Union.

Italians eat more pasta than any other EU country.

Italians cook pasta al dente.

**Per capita consumption:** The average is between 23 and 26 kg per person annually, with some sources reporting even higher estimates.

**Consumption frequency:** Many Italians eat pasta multiple times a week, with about 20% eating it daily or almost daily.

Other Lifestyle Factors

The low Body Mass Index of Italians is probably due to more factors than just properly cooked pasta. Italians in general walk more than Americans and eat smaller portions.

The Magic of Left-over Pasta

There’s more!

Leftover pasta another potential health benefit.

When it’s warmed up, it changes its identity from starch to resistant starch.

Resistant starch passes through the digestive tract to the large intestines where

It becomes food for the beneficial bacteria that live there.

It is a pre-biotic.

It’s good for the gut

It’s a virtually zero on the glycemic index.

Other Lifestyle Factors

The low Body Mass Index of Italians is probably due to more variables than just properly cooked pasta. Italians in general walk more than Americans and eat smaller portions.

How to Cook Pasta Al Dente

The Simple Way

• Boil your dry pasta and remove from the pot one minute before the package directions.
• If you plan to introduce the pasta to a pot of sauce, try two minutes shy of the package directions and cook it in the sauce another minute or so.

The Better Way

• A few minutes before the instructions say the pasta should be cooked, grab a piece with tongs, shake off the hot water and bite into it.
• If it’s still firm, but chewable, it’s ready.

If you’ve never had al dente pasta, it will naturally seem wrong to you. But its benefits make it well worth gradual adaptation. Once you get used to it, you will never, ever go back to mushy pasta.

Buon appetito!