How To Reduce Sugar In Pasta By Adding Balsamic Vinegar

Wheat pasta is a forbidden food on many diets due to its high starch content, which can cause weight gain and a spike in blood sugar; however, if you know which pastas to use and what toppings to add, you can enjoy pasta, lose weight and manage your blood sugar levels. Antiobesity advocate Jamie Oliver suggests adding balsamic vinegar to pasta dishes to help make it healthier and less likely to cause weight gain. The addition of balsamic vinegar to pasta dishes doesn't reduce its sugar content as much as it helps to modify how the body metabolizes the sugars.

Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar originated in Italy and is made by pressing grapes to release the juice -- followed by a period of fermentation. The aging or fermentation process may go on for years to achieve the sought-after flavor profile. Adding balsamic vinegar to pasta and other dishes adds tons of flavor and antioxidants, according to a 2010 study reported by the "Journal of Food Biochemistry." The vinegar acts as a natural appetite suppressant and improves metabolism by stimulating the production of natural enzymes, according to the website Cruets.com.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index rates foods and indicates how a specific food item will affect your blood sugar levels and whether it may be helpful or harmful in terms of causing sudden spikes in blood sugar. The lower the number, the less effect it has on blood sugar. Conversely, the higher the glycemic index for any given food, the greater that food's effect on blood sugar.

Anti-glycemic Effects

Balsamic and other vinegars are low in calories and have exceedingly low glycemic index numbers. In comparison, the glycemic index for most types of pasta ranges from 45 to 55, which means that they have moderate levels on the glycemic index scale. When the vinegar is combined with a pasta dish, its antiglycemic attributes help to reduce the effects that starchy pasta has on blood sugar by controlling the glucose response, according to Carol Johnston, Ph.D., R.D., in a 2006 study from Arizona State University reported in "The Medscape Journal of Medicine."

Hunger Control

Johnston continues to discuss in the study how the acetic acid in balsamic vinegar helps the body absorb glucose from pasta more slowly, preventing spikes in blood sugar, which leads to the individual having more control over hunger. In this manner, you feel more satisfied and are likely to eat less. Johnston notes that the addition of two tablespoons of vinegar added to a starchy pasta meal can reduce blood sugar surges after your meal by 20 percent.

Healthy Pasta

Make a healthy pasta dish using balsamic vinegar and healthy vegetables as the pasta sauce, recommends Oliver. Roast or stew tomatoes with leaks, garlic and spices and toss with the vinegar for a low-fat, delicious pasta sauce. Add a splash of your favorite olive oil to finish off the sauce.