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Pasta lovers tend to be healthier than those who do not eat them at all, study says.  They get the benefit of shortfall nutrients while shunning away from fat and sugar. Pasta is low in sodium and has no cholesterol.

Researchers presented new evidence at The Obesity Society's annual meeting that pasta lovers consume greater amounts of shortfall nutrients like dieatary fiber, folate, iron and magnesium.

The researchers looked at the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of adults in the United States aging 19 years old and above. They want to determine if nutrient shortfalls were linked to eating pasta. Diet quality was measured by measuring one's diet against the USDA dietary guidelines. The result revealed that pasta lovers had better intake of vitamins and minerals and had a more balanced diet.

The new 2015 to 2020 dietary guidelines encourages the consumption of all types of grains because of their nutritional value. Diane Welland, dietitian for the National Pasta Association, said the pasta can be an effective building block for good nutrition. It is a perfect delivery system for fish, fruit, lean meats, legumes and vegetables.

Welland added that the nutritional importance of grains found in pasta is consistent with a healthy diet. Pasta lovers have even better quality diet that those who do not eat pasta at all.

Pasta also provides carbohydrates for energy and has a low glycemic index. Simply put, it helps regulate blood sugar. In July 2016, a study also showed that pasta lovers were more likely to have lower BMI, smaller waist circumferences and waist-to-hip ratios.

However, some experts are critical of the result of the study which was conducted by Nutritional Strategies Inc. on behalf of the National Pasta Association. According to Independent, the association has certainly a vested interest in showing the health benefits of their products.