Food Theory: You're Eating Pasta WRONG!

Summary

In this episode of Food Theory, MatPat explores the health implications of pasta consumption, particularly at Olive Garden's 'Never-Ending Pasta Bowl.' He discusses how pasta's carbohydrates can be made healthier by altering its temperature, revealing that reheated pasta contains more resistant starch, which slows digestion and reduces blood sugar spikes. A TV experiment supports these findings, suggesting that enjoying pasta cold or reheated can make it a slightly healthier option.

Takeaways

• 🍝 Olive Garden's 'Never-Ending Pasta Bowl' is a popular choice for those who love unlimited servings of pasta, breadsticks, salad, and soup.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Pasta is often debated in terms of health; it contains fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, but also a significant amount of carbohydrates.
• 📊 The glycemic index of pasta is relatively low, which means it doesn't cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.
• 🍽 Portion control is crucial with pasta, as the recommended serving size is much smaller than what is typically consumed.
• 🔁 The structure of starches in pasta can affect how quickly they are broken down and absorbed by the body.
• 🥶 Cold pasta contains more resistant starches, which are harder for the body to break down, potentially making it healthier.
• 🔥 Reheating pasta increases its resistant starch content even more, making it the healthiest option in terms of blood sugar response.
• 📚 A 2009 study and a British TV show experiment both support the idea that reheated pasta causes less of a blood sugar spike.
• 🎧 The script includes a sponsorship message for Audible, highlighting the convenience of audiobooks for busy individuals.
• 🍲 The video concludes with a practical tip: to make pasta healthier, cool it, reheat it, and enjoy the benefits of increased resistant starches.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the script?

The main topic discussed in the script is the health implications of consuming pasta, specifically how the temperature at which pasta is consumed can affect its impact on blood sugar levels.

What is the 'never-ending pasta bowl' mentioned in the script?

The 'never-ending pasta bowl' is a reference to Olive Garden's promotional offer where customers can enjoy unlimited servings of pasta for a fixed price.

Why does the script mention breadsticks, salad, and soup?

The script mentions breadsticks, salad, and soup because these items are also part of Olive Garden's unlimited offerings, similar to the never-ending pasta bowl.

What is the significance of the phrase 'what if that wasn't the case' in the script?

The phrase 'what if that wasn't the case' is used to introduce the idea that there might be a way to enjoy pasta without the typical health drawbacks, setting up the discussion on resistant starches.

What does the script suggest about the healthiness of pasta?

The script suggests that pasta can be made healthier by changing the temperature at which it is consumed, specifically by cooling and reheating it, which increases the presence of resistant starches.

What is the role of carbohydrates in pasta according to the script?

Carbohydrates in pasta are a source of energy but can be unhealthy in excess, particularly when they are refined carbs like those found in regular pasta.

What is the glycemic index, and how does it relate to pasta?

The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. Pasta has a relatively low glycemic index, meaning it causes a slower rise in blood sugar levels.

What is the significance of portion control when it comes to pasta?

Portion control is significant because a typical serving size of pasta is much smaller than what people usually consume, leading to excessive carbohydrate intake.

What are resistant starches, and how do they relate to pasta?

Resistant starches are types of starch that are difficult for the body to break down and absorb, thus providing fewer calories. The script explains that pasta can become a source of resistant starches as it cools and is reheated.

What does the script reveal about the effect of reheating pasta on its health impact?

The script reveals that reheating pasta can increase its resistant starch content, making it healthier by reducing blood sugar spikes compared to fresh pasta.

How does the script use the British television program 'Trust Me I'm a Doctor' to support its claims?

The script cites an experiment from 'Trust Me I'm a Doctor' where volunteers' blood sugar levels were measured after eating fresh, cold, and reheated pasta, with the results supporting the idea that reheated pasta causes the smallest blood sugar spikes.

Outlines

00:00

🍝 The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Dilemma

The paragraph humorously describes a customer's interaction with a waiter at an Olive Garden restaurant, highlighting the concept of the 'never-ending pasta bowl.' The customer inquires about the unlimited nature of the food offerings, including pasta, breadsticks, salad, and soup, and humorously contemplates the idea of needing a second pasta bowl to rotate while eating. This sets the stage for a discussion on the health aspects of pasta and introduces the idea that there might be a way to make pasta healthier without changing its recipe.

05:01

🔬 The Science of Making Pasta Healthier

This paragraph delves into the science behind pasta and its health implications. It discusses the nutritional content of pasta, including fiber, protein, and carbohydrates, and how these contribute to energy but can also be linked to health issues when consumed in excess. The concept of resistant starches is introduced, explaining how these starches are harder for the body to break down and thus can lead to fewer blood sugar spikes. The paragraph also mentions how the cooling and reheating of pasta can increase its resistant starch content, making it a healthier option. A study is referenced that shows reheated pasta contains more resistant starch than cold pasta, suggesting that eating reheated pasta could be a strategy for healthier consumption.

Keywords

💡Never-Ending Pasta Bowl

The 'Never-Ending Pasta Bowl' is a promotional offer by Olive Garden where customers can enjoy unlimited servings of pasta, breadsticks, salad, and soup for a fixed price. In the context of the video, it symbolizes the indulgence and abundance of food that Olive Garden is known for. The video uses this concept to explore the possibility of making such a meal healthier through changes in food preparation.

💡Portion Control

Portion control refers to the practice of regulating the amount of food one consumes to manage weight and maintain health. The video discusses how the large portions served at Olive Garden, far exceeding the recommended serving size, contribute to excessive calorie intake. This concept is pivotal as it sets the stage for the video's exploration of healthier pasta consumption.

💡Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a macronutrient found in foods like pasta, bread, and potatoes. They are the body's primary source of energy. The video mentions that pasta contains a high amount of carbohydrates, which can be both beneficial (for energy) and detrimental (if consumed in excess) to health. This is a central theme as the video discusses how the body processes these carbs.

💡Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. The video explains that pasta has a relatively low glycemic index, meaning it doesn't cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, which is beneficial for people monitoring their blood sugar levels. This concept is important as it contrasts with the high glycemic index of other carbohydrate-rich foods.

💡Resistant Starch

Resistant starch is a type of starch that is not easily digested, thus passing through the small intestine and into the large intestine largely intact. The video reveals that as pasta cools, it contains more resistant starch, which is healthier because it leads to a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream. This is a key concept as it provides a scientific basis for the video's claim that certain preparation methods can make pasta healthier.

💡Amylase

Amylase is a digestive enzyme that begins the process of breaking down starches into simpler sugars in the mouth. The video mentions amylase as part of the process of how the body digests pasta, highlighting the role of enzymes in the digestion of carbohydrates.

💡Blood Sugar Spikes

A blood sugar spike refers to a rapid increase in blood glucose levels after eating. The video discusses how certain types of carbohydrates, if consumed in large amounts, can lead to unhealthy blood sugar spikes. It then contrasts this with the slower release of glucose from resistant starches, which can help avoid these spikes.

💡Refined Carbs

Refined carbs are carbohydrates that have been processed to remove the bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm. The video points out that regular pasta is made from refined carbs, which are less healthy than whole wheat pasta because they lack fiber and other nutrients. This term is used to emphasize the difference in health impact between different types of carbohydrates.

💡Food Pyramid

The food pyramid was a nutritional guide that emphasized the importance of grains as the foundation of a healthy diet. The video references the food pyramid to illustrate the changing perceptions of dietary guidelines over time, particularly regarding carbohydrates and their role in a healthy diet.

💡Digestion

Digestion is the process by which food is broken down in the body into nutrients that can be absorbed and used for energy, growth, and cell repair. The video discusses the digestion of pasta in detail, explaining how the body breaks down starches and the impact of resistant starches on this process.

💡Reheated Pasta

Reheated pasta is mentioned in the video as a way to increase the resistant starch content, making the pasta healthier. The video cites a study showing that reheated pasta contains more resistant starch than cold pasta, suggesting that reheating pasta can be a strategy for health-conscious consumers who still want to enjoy their favorite dishes.

Highlights

Olive Garden's 'never-ending pasta bowl' includes unlimited breadsticks and salad.

The concept of 'never-ending' extends to soup and soda refills as well.

The idea of enjoying pasta without the associated health risks is explored.

Pasta is a source of fiber, protein, and various vitamins and minerals.

Refined carbs like those in regular pasta are linked to an increased risk of diseases.

Whole wheat pasta is healthier than regular pasta and can be requested at Olive Garden.

Pasta has a relatively low glycemic index, which affects blood glucose levels.

Portion control is crucial with pasta, as recommended serving sizes are often smaller than typical portions.

Carbohydrates in pasta are composed of long strands of glucose molecules known as starches.

Resistant starches are difficult for the body to break down and thus can be healthier.

Cooling pasta increases its resistant starch content, making it healthier.

Reheating pasta after it has cooled actually increases its resistant starch content even more.

A study showed that reheated pasta causes less of a blood sugar spike than fresh pasta.

The process of cooling and reheating pasta can be repeated to further increase resistant starches.

Eating habits can be adjusted to make favorite meals like those from Olive Garden less unhealthy.

Audible is highlighted as a sponsor, providing spoken word entertainment and audiobooks.

Transcripts

sir your never-ending pasta bowl

oh thanks if you need anything else just

let me done

excuse me i'm done ready for more pasta

you said it's never ending right

well yes great also i down the

breadsticks and salad those are

unlimited too correct

oh dear now is the soup endless because

if so i'll order that too and you know

tell you what i'm going to need a second

never-ending pasta bowl just to get a

couple in rotation gonna be here a while

and i'm planning on eating a lot of

pasta honey it's me sell all of our

olive garden stock

right now yeah he's back free refills on

soda correct

[Music]

thanks

hello internet welcome to food theory

where with science

all things are possible all right i'll

admit it theorists i've been daydreaming

about

olive garden a lot lately like an

unhealthy amount though when it comes to

olive garden is there really any other

kind see

their food hasn't touched my lips since

the pandemic started but what else can i

do

it's not like i'm gonna order olive

garden as delivery ugh that defeats the

whole purpose

olive garden is one of those restaurants

that has to be done in person if you're

gonna do it right cause as

everyone knows the minute you sit down

inside of an olive garden they start

throwing endless and bottomless foods at

you from all directions

breadsticks soups salads pasta until you

leave the restaurant an hour later with

enough extra calories in your stomach to

keep you in the gym for a week which is

both

awesome and awful because the venn

diagram for reasons pasta is delicious

and reasons pasta is unhealthy

is basically one circle but here's what

i've been noodling about recently

friends what if that wasn't the case

what if you could enjoy all those tasty

carbs on your lips and they wouldn't

wind up forever on those hips theorists

i wanted to make today's episode because

there are some really interesting

science-based reasons to believe that

pasta can be made healthier

not by altering the recipe but by simply

changing

the temperature not to go full clickbait

on your friends but there's really no

other way to put it this one trick makes

food

instantly healthier so grab a fork

theorists cause if i'm right about this

one the possibilities

are endless first let's talk pasta is it

healthy or

isn't it because i feel like pasta is

just one of those foods that's gone in

and out of style like 10 times during my

life

these days i hear a lot about the carbs

it contains and yet when i was in grade

school

this is what got drilled into my brain

every single day

the food pyramid which celebrated grains

as the literal foundation of a healthy

diet so what is the deal here

is pasta good or is it bad well on one

hand pasta is a source of fiber

protein and a slew of vitamins and

minerals on the other yeah it contains

a lot of carbohydrates now carbs are

great for energy which is why for

instance marathon runners will load up

on carbs before a race but for those of

us not running marathons on the reg

an excessive amount of carbs ain't great

particularly refined carbs like the ones

found in regular pasta as opposed to

whole wheat pasta which isn't typically

the default option when you order pasta

at a restaurant my local olive garden

for instance doesn't currently have

whole wheat linguine on the menu but

they've served it to me every time i've

asked for it in the past according to

healthline

quote eating refined carbs is linked to

drastically increased risk of many

diseases including obesity

heart disease and type 2 diabetes still

even though pasta has plenty of carbs

it's by no means the highest carb food

out there looking at you french fries

plus pasta has a pretty low glycemic

index which is a value assigned to foods

based on how slowly or how quickly those

foods cause

increases in blood glucose levels so

with all those nutrients and a

relatively low glycemic index why does

pasta get a bad rap

simply put portion control see a serving

size of pasta is supposed to be a half

cup

which is a lot less than you would think

and it is definitely a lot less than the

plate of pasta you're making for

yourself at home and

certainly less than what you get served

at olive garden how many servings are

contained in a never-ending pasta bowl

a tad bit higher than a recommended

daily dose now when we say that pasta

has a lot of carbohydrates what we

really mean is that it has a lot of

glucose molecules the word carbohydrate

is derived from carbon

and hydrate as you can see from

glucose's structure it's more or less

six carbon atoms with six h2o molecules

attached now hosta doesn't have a bunch

of free glucose molecules floating

around in it what it has

are long strands of glucose molecules

linked together these long glucose

strands can come in different lengths

and arrangements but

generally they're referred to as

starches when we ingest a starchy food

like pasta bread or potatoes the

salivary

enzyme amylase gets to work right away

in the mouth and it begins breaking the

long starch chain down into shorter

chunks

this process continues in the small

intestine where it eventually becomes

individual glucose molecules and see

that is what our body needs for energy

but as long as the glucose molecules

remain in their long starch chains

they can't be absorbed okay so remember

how i said that starches can come in a

bunch of different arrangements well

some of those arrangements are very easy

for our body's enzymes to break apart

in this case our small intestine will

successfully absorb a whole bunch of

free glucose molecules our blood sugar

will spike and all those unhealthy

dangerous things that we discussed

earlier could occur however

sometimes glucose molecules are arranged

into starches that are a lot

tougher to break down these starches are

resistant to digestion which is why

they're called

resistant starches who names these

things by the way feel like there could

have been more creativity involved if i

made a scientific discovery i'd have

more fun with it you know like

starch nemesis tony starch like and

subscribe to food theory starch you know

something like that anyway resistant

starches can be so difficult and takes

so long to break apart that they pass

all the way through our entire digestive

system to the colon and even beyond

without getting fully broken down

that means not all of the glucose

molecules get broken off the starch

chain which means your body effectively

gets fewer carbs so at long last this

all brings us back to olive garden

because the starches in your piping hot

freshly boiled pasta actually become

more resistant as the pasta cools down

and yes this applies to other starchy

foods too like potatoes and peas

if you've ever noticed how day-old

leftover pasta in the fridge has an

almost

crispy texture that's because it has

more resistant starches in it than

before

thereby making cold pasta healthier than

freshly boiled pasta

bazinga okay so i can feel your fierce

at home rolling your eyes saying to

yourself gee thanks matpat you roped us

in with that click bait thesis statement

earlier and now you're going to tell us

that we have to suffer through eating

cold

pasta in order to glean the benefits of

resistant starches and all right i admit

i can see where you'd get that idea

if you stopped watching the video right

now because here's the big twist

friends a 2009 study shows that reheated

pasta

actually contains more resistant starch

than the cold pasta so boil's the worst

cold's second best and reheated is the

best best and if you repeatedly

cool and reheat your pasta the presence

of resistant starches

only accumulates basically it's kind of

a what doesn't kill you makes it

stronger kind of thing except it's uh

makes you

more of a resistant starch okay so the

science is telling us that cooling and

reheating your pasta increases its

starch resistance our understanding of

digestion tells us that higher starch

resistance means that it's harder for

our body to break down and therefore

should lessen spikes in blood sugar but

i'm not okay just leaving this thing

with a should

is there actual proof of this working in

the real world or is it all theoretical

food theoretical yeah doesn't quite have

the same ring to it does it well i'm

happy to report friends that such an

experiment was performed

on the british television program trust

me i'm a doctor they measured the blood

sugar of volunteers after eating fresh

cold and reheated pasta and the results

are precisely what we would expect the

largest spikes in blood sugar occurred

with fresh pasta and the smallest spikes

resulted from reheated pasta

granted this was a small scale

experiment on a tv show but other

more extensive studies have also been

carried out and they also support the

same findings so if you're like me and

your desire to eat healthy is constantly

at odds with your desire to eat your

body weight at olive garden you can rest

a little bit easier tonight knowing that

there's still a way to make the huge

unhealthy meals that you love a little

bit less unhealthy now if you'll excuse

me i need to a

reheat my olive garden leftovers

multiple times and b

thank audible the sponsor for today's

episode audible is the

leading provider of spoken word

entertainment all in one place we're

talking audiobooks podcasts comedy

theatrical performances you name it

thousands of titles people thousands and

its library of content is constantly

getting updated with new and great stuff

look i'd love to sit here and tell you

that i use it exclusively for

highbrow literature or whatever but i'm

not even gonna lie these days i'm in a

constant state of listening to and

re-listening to fnaf books for our game

theory episodes

what don't look at me like that guys

there are so many of these darn books

what else am i gonna do i'm matpat i

gotta stay on top of this stuff and

audible is a huge reason i'm able to

the fact that i can listen to a portion

of an audiobook on my phone in the car

and then pick up from the exact same

spot later in the day on my tablet at

home

is just one of the reasons i love using

audible let's face it adulting is

miserable and finding time for yourself

just gets harder when you have a

two-year-old in your life and so audible

being available whenever and wherever i

want to listen to it allows me to carve

off some me time while i'm doing the

mundane tasks of cleaning and cooking

and all that awful stuff that has to get

done

then you only have like a half hour to

yourself before you pass out from

exhaustion so at least let me listen to

a book or a podcast that i want to that

makes it feel like i have a modicum of

me time still

sorry was that too real another reason i

love audible is that they let me dial

the narration speed up team 1.5 time

speed where you at

basically audible is everything i love

to listen to all in one app

if you haven't tried it out i cannot

recommend audible enough head over to

audible.com

food theory f-o-o-d-t-h-e-o-r-y or you

know just text

food theory to 500-500 new members can

always try audible for 30 days

audible's treat again visit audible.com

food theory or text

food theory to 500 500. whether you plan

to use it for entertainment for

self-better mentor you know for boning

up on your indie horror game lore you'll

be glad that you did it thanks for

watching

thanks again for our wonderful sponsor

audible and just remember that it's all

a theory

all food theory bon appetit