Could Eating Pasta Help Older Adults Lose Weight?

If your aging relative has been advised to lose weight, their first thoughts might have been about all of the foods they need to stop eating. No more dessert, no fatty foods, no pasta. Wait. Strike that. It turns out that pasta might not be off the list. New research indicates that eating pasta in conjunction with a low glycemic index (GI) diet could help older adults to shed some weight.

Homecare Faith NC Could Eating Pasta Help Older Adults Lose Weight?

What Is the Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index is most often associated with diabetes because it is used to show how much impact a carbohydrate has on the body’s blood sugar level. Foods on the index are compared to a base-line food, such as white bread or glucose. Foods that have a low GI are the ones that don’t cause blood sugar to rise as much.

The glycemic index isn’t a list of foods people should and shouldn’t eat. Instead, it allows those who plan their meals using GI to balance what they eat. For example, when they eat a food with a high GI, like a bagel, they need to balance out the other foods they eat by choosing low GI foods, like oatmeal.

Low GI Diet Study

Pasta is often thought of as one of the “bad” foods when it comes to losing weight because it’s considered a refined carbohydrate, or a processed carb. However, according to the study author, Laura Chiavaroli, PhD (University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada), despite the fact that pasta is a refined carbohydrate, it is still a low GI food.

Pasta, like other low GI foods, are filling and stay in the stomach longer, so it keeps a person full longer. The study indicated that people who ate pasta and followed a low GI diet lost 1.5 more pounds over a 12-week period than people who ate a high GI diet.

Experts are quick to say that the study doesn’t mean that people should eat as much pasta as they want. However, it does indicate that a low GI diet may be beneficial.

If your older adult family member is overweight or obese, losing some weight can lower their risks for serious health problems, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Homecare can help older adults to lose some weight in several ways. Homecare provider can assist with meal planning and grocery shopping. They can even cook meals for the senior and keep them company while they eat.

Homecare providers can also keep older adults more physically active, which can aid with weight loss. A homecare provider can go for walks with them, drive them to exercise classes, or just help them to move around more.

Sources:  https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20180406/eating-pasta-linked-to-weight-loss

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/glycemic-index-and-diabetes.html

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/index.htm

If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Faith NC, please contact the caring staff at TenderHearted Home Care today. (704) 612-4132.