1. Same Flour, Different Blood Sugar Response
Pasta and somen are both representative noodle dishes made from wheat flour, but their effects on blood sugar are quite different. This difference stems from the ‘type of wheat’ and the ‘structure of the noodle’ used to make them.
2. Characteristics of Pasta (Spaghetti)
– Raw Material ‘Durum Wheat’: Authentic pasta like spaghetti is made from ‘semolina’ flour, which is coarsely ground from a type of wheat called ‘durum wheat.’ Durum wheat has a higher protein content than common wheat, and its particles are hard, making it difficult for our body’s digestive enzymes to penetrate.
– Lower Glycemic Index (GI): Due to these characteristics, pasta has a relatively slow digestion and absorption speed. The GI of well-cooked pasta is around 50-55, which is much lower than that of white rice (around 86) or somen (around 80).
3. Characteristics of Somen (Regular Noodles)
– Raw Material ‘Common Wheat’: The somen or kalguksu noodles we commonly eat are made from soft, common wheat flour.
– High Glycemic Index (GI): The particles are fine and soft, leading to very rapid digestion and a sharp rise in blood sugar.
4. A Wise Way to Eat Pasta
While it’s true that pasta is more favorable for blood sugar management than somen, there are a few precautions.
– Portion Control: Pasta is still a carbohydrate food, so it is important to stick to a single serving size (80-100g of dry noodles).
– Sauce Selection: Avoid tomato sauces with a lot of added sugar or high-fat, high-calorie cream sauces. Aglio e olio based on olive oil or sauces with plenty of vegetables are good choices.
– Cooking Method: Cooking the noodles ‘al dente,’ where there is still a slight bite to them, can further slow down the digestion speed.
Summary: Pasta is made from hard durum wheat, making it digest slower and raise blood sugar more gradually than regular somen noodles. Therefore, when a person with diabetes wants to eat noodles, choosing pasta over somen is a better choice.
Leave a Reply