Known for his work on healthy living and nutrition, Osman Müftüoğlu emphasized that pasta, when consumed properly, is an extremely healthy, economical, and functional food. Highlighting Türkiye’s advantage in producing high-quality durum wheat, Müftüoğlu stated that many of the negative perceptions surrounding pasta are far from being scientifically grounded.

Prof. Dr. Osman Müftüoğlu
Founder of Yaşasın Hayat Clinic

Pasta is truly a very valuable food. Especially in the period the world is going through today, it is even more valuable. It is valuable for many reasons. First of all, it is an affordable and accessible food. Secondly, it is very easy to store and transport. Thirdly, it is very easy to prepare. In addition to its flavor and satiety value, its nutritional value is far greater than most people assume.

The whole issue stems from misunderstandings surrounding pasta. Whenever pasta is mentioned, certain clichés and prejudices immediately come to mind. In fact, when we see someone slightly overweight, we often say things like “he looks like pasta” or “she looks like pasta.” We treat pasta as if it were the symbol of weight gain. However, if pasta were truly such a fattening food, we would not be able to walk the streets of Rome or Milan; all Italians would have to be obese.

The main problem with pasta is the lack of proper nutritional education. The issue is not pasta itself, but how we treat it. Durum wheat, the raw material of pasta, is actually a product of our geography. Not only Anatolia, but also Syria, Lebanon, and the regions of Southeastern Anatolia are part of its origin. It is one of the earliest domesticated wheat varieties. If there is one wheat that truly belongs to a region, it is durum wheat. And it is among the finest wheat varieties in the world. It is extremely hard and stands out with its high protein structure and strong gluten matrix. This gluten structure is highly important because gluten acts almost like a cage around the starch that we consider potentially problematic. In other words, it keeps the starch under control.

Therefore, even after pasta is cooked and consumed, the amylase enzyme cannot easily penetrate that structure and break down the starch. As a result, carbohydrate digestion and the transfer of glucose into the bloodstream occur more slowly. This is precisely why pasta made from durum wheat has a lower glycemic index. While the glycemic index of durum wheat pasta produced in our geography is around 40–50, pasta produced from some other wheat varieties grown elsewhere can have significantly higher values. The concept of glycemic index refers to how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. The faster blood sugar rises, the faster insulin levels increase. The result is an expanding waistline, increased diabetes risk, and weight problems. Durum wheat, however, offers a serious advantage in this regard.

For this reason, pasta produced from Anatolian durum wheat is extremely valuable. However, another crucial issue is how you cook pasta. When pasta is overcooked, the gelatinization of its starch increases. In other words, as pasta softens, it becomes easier to digest. Consequently, it breaks down much faster in the intestines and raises blood sugar more rapidly. That is why pasta should be cooked slightly less. This is what Italians refer to as “al dente.” Al dente means “to the tooth.” Pasta should remain slightly firm when cooked. When prepared this way, its effect on blood sugar decreases and the risk of weight gain is reduced.

WHAT YOU ADD WHILE COOKING PASTA MATTERS

Of course, how you treat pasta during cooking is equally important. In my opinion, the biggest mistake happens here. The sauce you add while cooking pasta can completely lead it astray. It can undermine all of pasta’s nutritional value. If you add vegetables, protein, fish, chicken, or minced meat, you reduce the glycemic load of pasta and make it much healthier. And if you also add olive oil, which slows gastric emptying, along with a little vinegar or lemon juice, which suppress the glycemic response, pasta turns into an almost perfect healthy meal.

But if you pour three cups of cream into your pasta, overload it with heavy sauces, and then blame the pasta itself, that would be unfair. The problem is not pasta, but the wrong choices made in the kitchen.

SHOULD PASTA BE CONSUMED HOT OR COLD?

What you eat alongside pasta is also very important. If you consume pasta together with rice, French fries, or boiled potatoes, things become more complicated. However, if you pair it with legumes, vegetables, meat, or fish, you create a much more balanced meal.

In my opinion, pasta is more suitable as a lunch meal. The body reacts more sensitively to carbohydrate consumption in the evening. Evenings should generally include a slightly higher protein intake. Therefore, consuming pasta during lunchtime is more appropriate. If it is eaten in the evening, portion control becomes essential.

Another very important issue is whether pasta is consumed hot or cold. We are not particularly aware of this in our cuisine, but when you cook pasta and let it cool—especially when stored in the refrigerator—some of the starch converts into resistant starch. Resistant starch is not digested in the small intestine; instead, it passes into the large intestine. Moreover, it becomes a highly valuable nutrient source for probiotic bacteria. These bacteria positively affect intestinal health, immunity, and even brain and memory functions.

PROPERLY PREPARED PASTA CAN BECOME A NATURAL PREBIOTIC SOURCE

Cook pasta and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Consume it the next day. You will notice that it not only becomes lower in calories but also transforms into a gut-friendly food. Studies show that the caloric impact of pasta consumed in this way may decrease by 40–50 percent. Today, people spend serious amounts of money on probiotic and prebiotic supplements, whereas properly prepared pasta can naturally serve as a prebiotic source.

Of course, portion size also matters. Even the healthiest food in the world can cause weight gain if consumed excessively. The ideal portion of pasta is approximately 80–100 grams of dry pasta. This amount corresponds to around 300 calories on average. Therefore, the issue is not blaming pasta, but learning how to consume it properly.

Another issue is the completely unnecessary “anti-gluten” narrative that has been promoted in recent years. In particular, so-called intolerance tests are constantly being used to instill fear of gluten in people. Let me say this clearly: most of these tests have no scientific value. Certainly, there are individuals with genuine gluten sensitivity, and I am not disputing that. However, turning society as a whole into a population afraid of gluten is not the right approach. Most of these tests are not reliable. The most valuable test is observing your own body. If you feel unwell, fatigued, or bloated after eating a certain food, then it should be evaluated accordingly. But telling everyone to “cut out gluten” is not scientific.

In our culture especially, pasta made from durum wheat is extremely valuable. The most important characteristic that distinguishes Turkish pasta from others is the high protein structure of durum wheat. For this reason, Turkish pasta is actually a very valuable food.

In fact, we are the people of a geography that has possessed the culture of processing wheat into pasta-like products since ancient times. The culture of mantı is one of the best examples of this. In reality, mantı and pasta are close relatives. Our tradition of combining wheat with water and transforming it into nourishing food dates back centuries.