Reheated Pasta is Less Fattening, Study Finds

Great news pasta lovers (so, everyone)! If you're looking to cut some calories the next time you're in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs, try eating it a la reheated.

According to new experiments from the latest series of 'Trust Me, I'm A Doctor,' cooking pasta and then letting it cool down changes its structure so that your body treats it more like fiber, which makes you feel less hungry and take in fewer calories.

Typically, the body breaks down pasta into simple sugars and this process causes glucose levels to rise. To respond to the rising levels of glucose, the body then releases insulin to restore them to normal. However, these quick ups and downs in your body's blood glucose levels can make you feel hungry sooner than you expected.

When you let pasta cool down, it turns into a resistant starch, which means that it resists the body's attempt to break pasta into the sugars that cause those rising glucose levels. So, if you're willing to have your spaghetti a little less fresh, not only will you consume fewer calories, but you'll also lower the level of sugar your body absorbs. And let's be honest, cold or reheated pasta just doesn't taste as good, so you'll also eat less.

Watch the video above to learn more about why reheated pasta is less fattening.

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