PastaNutriti on, practi cality and fl avor in the right perfect serving.

www.abimapi.com.br

What is pasta made of?

Pasta is basically composed of wheat fl our and other ingredients may be added, such as eggs and dehydrated vegetables1.

The carbohydrate is the main nutrient found in pasta, especially starch. Starch’ primary functi on is to provide energy2.

Carbohydrates have an infl uence on sati ety, blood glucose, insulinaemia, lipid metabolism and, through fermentati on, they alter the intesti nal functi oning (movement and frequency)2.

Although carbohydrate is its main nutrient, there are other nutrients in pasta, such as protein, fi ber and complex B vitamins2.

Carbohydrate, protein and

fi ber

Protein Essenti al fatt y acids and anti oxidants

Anti oxidants, vitamins, minerals

and fi ber

+ + + =

Pasta: becoming familiar with its nutriti onal compositi on.

Carbohydrates must contribute with 45 to 65% of the human

daily energy intake.4.

Pasta is a type of food that is part of the eati ng habits of Brazilian people5. High-protein, foods with essenti al fatt y acids and fi ber complement the nutriti onal value of pasta, resulti ng in a complete, nutriti ous and balanced meal3,5.

A complete and nutriti ous meal with pasta.

In order to promote an adequate and healthy diet, the currently Food Guide for the Brazilian Populati on recommends that in natura or minimally processed food be the foundati on of a diet5.

Pasta is considered a minimally processed food, since its compositi on is basically water and wheat fl our, someti mes eggs. The benefi ts of the original food (wheat) are preserved and there is no additi on of ingredients such as sugar and fat5.

Pasta in an adequate and healthy diet.

77,9g carbohydrate*10g protein*2,9g fi ber*

* 100g porti on of raw pasta3.

Complete and nutriti ous meal

Debunking mythsDespite its presence in the food culture of diff erent populati ons for thousands of years6, there are sti ll myths surrounding the consumpti on of pasta that need to be clarifi ed6.

No food alone is able to cause weight gain. Foods which are source of carbohydrate, such as pasta, can compose a balanced meal in the evening and contribute to weight loss and maintenance in the long term, in additi on to increasing sati ety7.

The consumpti on of carbohydrates at dinner increases adiponecti n levels, leading to an improvement in the sensiti vity to insulin, improvement in the parameters of metabolic syndrome and the general infl ammatory state; in comparison to a diet in which carbohydrates appear throughout the day7.

“Eati ng pasta in the evening makes you fat”.

Glycemic index (GI) is a scale that classifi es food according to the glycemic response produced by the carbohydrate of the food studies in comparison with a control food. The reference values are: low GI (<55), medium GI (>56 – 69) and high GI (>70)2.

Pasta’s GI is low (47), lower than a cooked potato (82) and rice (89)8. The intake of food with low GI has been associated with a bett er control of blood glucose and can integrate a strategy for control and preventi on of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases2.

“Pasta has a high glycemic index”.

Gluten is the main structural protein in some cereals, such as wheat. Only a small porti on of the populati on (1 in every 100 individuals) presents permanents gluten intolerance – celiac disease – and must excludes foods derived from wheat and other cereal from their diet.

For everyone else, wheat and food made with it are an important source of protein, B complex vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants; and no health benefi ts have been found when excluding them from a diet10.

“In order to be healthier, I must cut off gluten from my diet and stop eati ng pasta”.

Illus

trati

ve

imag

es.

Bibliographic references: 1-BRASIL. ANVISA. Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. Resolução RDC nº 263, de 22 de setembro de 2005. Regulamento técnico para produtos de cereais, amidos, farinhas e farelos. Brasília (DF): Ministério da Saúde; 2005. Disponível em: http://portal.anvisa.gov.br/wps/wcm/connect/1ae52c0047457a718702d73fbc4c6735/RDC_263_2005.pdf?MOD=AJPERES 2-Cozzolino SMF; Cominetti C. Bases Bioquímicas e Fisiológicas da Nutrição: Nas Diferentes Fases da Vida, Na Saúde e Na Doença. Barueri: Manole; 2013. 3-TACO. Tabela Brasileira de Composição dos Alimentos. Campinas (SP); 2007. 4-Department Of Agriculture, Department Of Health And Human Services (USA). The Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Washington(DC); 2015. 5-Ministério da Saúde (BR). Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Guia alimentar para a população brasileira. Brasília (DF): 2014. 6-A história do macarrão no Brasil. São Paulo: DBA Editora, 2014. 7-Sofer S, Eliraz A, Kaplan, S, Voet H, Fink G, Kima T et al. Greater Weight Loss and Hormonal Changes After 6 Months Diet With Carbohydrates Eaten Mostly at Dinner. Obes Res. 2012; 19 (10): 2006-14. 8-Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School(EUA). Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods. Cambridge; 2015. 9-Elli L, Branchi F, Tomba C, Villalta D, Norsa L, Ferretti F, et al. Diagnosis of gluten related disorders: Celiac disease, wheat allergy and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(23):7110-19. 10-Shewry PR, Hey SJ. Do we need to worry about eating wheat? Nutr Bull. 2016;41(1):6-13.

Fresh PastaMade with wheat flour,

it undergoes a partial drying process. It is sold under refrigeration.

Pasta of all kinds

Whole-Wheat PastaMade with whole-wheat flour,

it contains more fiber in its composition.

Illus

trati

ve im

ages

.

In addition to flour and water, eggs are added to the dough.

Egg PastaMade with special wheat flour known as type 1, it has a lighter color than

common pasta.

Semolina Pasta

Durum Wheat PastaMade with a special type of wheat, known as

“durum” wheat. After cooked, it becomes a loose and al dente kind of pasta.

Instant PastaPre-cooked during the

manufacturing process, it can be prepared in a few minutes.

Dried PastaProduced with wheat flour and

water, it undergoes a drying process that allows a long storage

period before consumption.

Did you know that the World Pasta Day and the Brazilian Pasta Day are celebrated on October 25th?