The Study
Does Resistant Starch Formed by Cooling Pasta Decrease the Postprandial Glycemic Response in Type 1 Diabetes? A Randomized Single-Blind Crossover Study
This study showed that when people with type 1 diabetes ate pasta that was cooled and then reheated, their blood sugar didn't spike as high as when they ate hot pasta. But it only tested 32 people once, so we can't say it will work the same for everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
When you cook pasta, cool it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it, it changes in a way that makes your blood sugar rise slower after eating.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 566 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this means people with type 1 diabetes can eat the same pasta with the same insulin dose and get better blood sugar control without more low blood sugar risks.
- 2Cooling pasta increased resistant starch from 8g to 13g per 100g; blood sugar peaked 65 min (vs.
- 3125 min) and rose 40% less; no more low blood sugar episodes.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2026
Authors
A. Rogowicz-Frontczak, Sylwia Strozyk, S. Piłaciński, A. Koperska, Joanna Le Thanh-Blicharz, Magdalena Tańska, Dorota Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz
Related Content
Claims (7)
Cooling cooked starch increases its resistant starch content and lowers the blood glucose rise after eating.
If you cook rice, let it cool in the fridge, and then reheat it, it turns into a type of starch that your body digests more slowly—so your blood sugar and insulin don’t spike as much after eating it.
When adults with type 1 diabetes eat pasta that has been cooled and reheated, their blood glucose peaks 50% faster than when they eat freshly cooked pasta, because the cooling process changes the starch structure and how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream.
For adults with type 1 diabetes who use insulin pumps, cooling and reheating pasta does not lead to more low blood sugar in the first three hours after eating than freshly cooked pasta, even though blood sugar rises 40% less, because the slower release of glucose matches the timing of insulin action from standard pump dosing.
Cooling and reheating wheat pasta changes its starch structure, resulting in 40% less blood sugar rise after eating, without increasing the risk of low blood sugar in people with type 1 diabetes who use insulin pumps.
Adding tomato sauce to cooled and reheated pasta does not change how much blood sugar rises after eating it in adults with type 1 diabetes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.