Go Ahead, Eat The Pasta: It's Actually NOT Making You Fat

Italian researchers broke ground with this discovery, giving us even more reason to go for Italian tonight. God bless.

The Mediterranean diet has long been the subject of applause, given all the lucky bitches out in Greece and Italy's propensity to stay effortlessly thin and healthy. Research is beginning to uncover why. As it turns out, pasta isn't the nemesis to healthy diets that we once thought it was. Like everything, moderation is key, and the queen of carbs could be essential to a healthy diet.

The study looked at the interaction between pasta consumption, BMI and waist-to-hip ratios. To be fair, pasta consumption was higher among overweight and obese populations. Despite this, the findings solidified the belief that a bowl (or two) or spaghetti won't make it any harder to slip into your Herve Leger. When scientists corrected a bias within the data, they discovered that higher pasta consumption was associated with lower BMIs and waist-to-hip ratios. Researchers also learned that pasta consumption is accompanied by increased consumption of foods like tomatoes, olive oil and onions. This finding indicates that pasta can be conducive to maintaining a thin waistline if enjoyed in moderation as a part of a mediterranean diet. 

There is a catch. The researchers followed people living in an area where the mediterranean diet is the norm. While Italians may consume a pasta-rich diet, they typically enjoy smaller servings than most Americans. Participants of the study were only able to report a serving size of three ounces, leaving us to wonder whether the study would yield the same results at a random sampling of tables at Carbone. 

Ignore these nuances and dwell on the discovery that you can eat pasta while spending summer in an itty-bitty bikini. With that, check out a few of our favorite spots to grab some decadent pasta dishes in the city. Bon appétit! 

[photos via @ibitefood, @lauraponts, @mack__o]