As an Italian American, I nostalgically recall family meals of pasta and pizza, despite often feeling bloated afterward. During my honeymoon in Italy, I investigated whether eating these foods there would affect my digestion differently. Using a continuous glucose monitor, I tracked my blood sugar levels. Surprisingly, I experienced no spikes in Italy, unlike at home, even after indulging in multiple courses. Experts suggest that this difference may stem from the lesser-processed nature of Italian foods, smaller portion sizes, and increased physical activity typical in Europe. This experience has prompted me to scrutinize ingredient lists back home and consider post-dinner walks.
As an Italian American, my favorite memories are of coming home from school and my mother making a big pot of spaghetti and homemade garlic bread, or getting takeout pizza as a family on Friday nights.
But while I love pasta and slices, they don’t exactly love me. As I get older, I often feel bloated and tired for hours after eating.
Like many Americans, I’ve heard stories of people who traveled to Europe and were able to eat just about anything without feeling as bloated as they were at home. .
So you can imagine my excitement last month as I prepared for my honeymoon to Italy, a mecca for carb lovers like me.
I decided this trip was the perfect opportunity to test for myself whether something truly different happens physiologically when I eat my favorite dishes locally versus at home.
I was fitted with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a device that is inserted under the skin to monitor the amount of sugar in the blood.
Fatigue, dehydration, and other negative symptoms that people feel after overdosing are often caused by large spikes and dips.
I recorded my results a week before my trip and during the first week of my honeymoon, and the results were frankly amazing.
Like many Americans, I was told that eating pasta and pizza in Italy made me feel less bloated and tired than in America. I took advantage of my Italian honeymoon to test this theory
On the left is the typical pasta I make at home in New York. On the right was one of the best pastas I had during my trip to Italy. Despite the decadent situation, my blood sugar levels never spiked
I used a device called Stelo, which is injected into my arm with a small needle and stays there for several weeks.
It measures the amount of glucose in interstitial fluid, the fluid that surrounds cells and tissues.
According to the company, normal blood sugar levels for non-diabetics are between 70 and 140 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter of blood).
If my levels spiked or crossed this threshold, I would receive a notification on my phone and be asked to explain what I was doing or eating around that time.
In the first half of my experiment, I always noticed a spike after dinner, especially if pasta or rice was part of the meal. This happened frequently.
White, brown, and yellow rice always make an appearance in my dinner dishes because they are versatile and relatively low-maintenance and time-consuming.
However, within 30 minutes of eating, Stero warned me that my blood sugar levels would rise from 80 mg/dl to about 130 mg/dl in a matter of minutes, gradually moving beyond the normal range. .
The same goes for pasta, which I try to pair with vegetables and light sauces to make it healthier.
Maybe it was the food, or maybe it was the bliss of not having to plan a wedding, but for the first week in Rome, my blood sugar spiked both after lunch and after dinner. There wasn’t.
Whether it was carbonara at a sit-down restaurant, trapizzino (Italian pocket pizza), or gelato from a street vendor, my level remained steady.
And I didn’t experience any of the bloating and fatigue that I always feel when I’m at home.
Even after eating quite a bit of pizza and gelato in Rome (left) and Florence (right), my blood sugar levels didn’t spike. However, if you walk up to 15,000 steps a day, you may have been able to lower your levels.
In the United States, blood sugar levels consistently rose after eating food (left panel), but in Italy, blood sugar levels did not rise after lunch or dinner (right panel)
Even the five-course meal we made in the cooking class, including three separate pasta courses, did not trigger a high blood sugar alert.
Experts believe the ultra-processed nature of U.S. food and European products may be playing a role.
Many pasta brands in the U.S. use additives such as thickeners, colorants and emulsifiers that extend shelf life and are linked to bloat, sluggishness and diabetes.
Italian pasta, on the other hand, is usually made with only semolina flour and water without any preservatives.
And science suggests that a lack of processed foods can have real benefits.
For example, a 2022 study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that less processed pasta tends to be digested more slowly, which slows the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream.
Italians also follow the tradition of cooking pasta “al dente,” which means “to the teeth.” This means that they have a harder texture, require more effort to chew, and are slower to digest.
Amy Alexander, a registered dietitian at NutriPeak in Australia, told DailyMail.com that Italians also tend to eat smaller portions, eating several smaller courses at a time. Pasta is usually the first course (primo), followed by meat or fish (secondi) and dessert.
She says, “The diet also combines other nutritious foods, such as vegetables, which can further slow down the blood sugar response.”
Treated.com’s clinical lead, Dr Daniel Atkinson, told DailyMail.com there are important differences in pizza, too.
he said: “It’s often made Neapolitan-style, with a thin crust and minimal toppings other than fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella.”
“Overall, eating pizza in Italy may mean you’re eating fewer calories a day than you think because the dough used usually doesn’t contain fat or sugar.”
“Although most pizzas can cause elevated blood sugar levels, Italian pizza has a thinner crust, making it more likely to have a lower overall glycemic index compared to American pizza.”
However, in the United States, many restaurants use sugar in their doughs and sauces to enhance flavor.
Dr Atkinson said: “The added sugar in pizza in the US could theoretically explain part of why the blood sugar spikes were more severe compared to those experienced in Italy.” added.
The expert also said that my increased step count may be contributing. A typical day in the US is about 5,000 to 7,000 steps, but I averaged 15,000 steps a day and was constantly standing.
Walking after meals has been consistently shown to speed up the digestion of food, making it easier for gas to move throughout the digestive system and preventing bloating.
A 2022 study found that walking for two minutes after a meal can help lower blood sugar levels, as muscles absorb excess glucose from the bloodstream.
Alexander told DailyMail.com.: “Physical activity, such as walking after meals, increases the efficiency of glucose absorption in muscles and lowers blood sugar levels.
“Walking is deeply integrated into daily life in many European cities and can have a significant impact on digestive and metabolic health.”
Above is a blood sugar spike notification I received after breakfast one morning in Italy. There are always spikes around this time of year. This may be due to eating more food than usual
Alcohol has also been shown to raise blood sugar levels, as sugary mixed drinks can contain carbohydrates. But this splash in Venice gave me a feeling of exhilaration
During my time in Italy, I wasn’t completely immune to blood sugar spikes. My blood sugar level rose after breakfast.
I don’t usually eat breakfast much. I’m always late and only have time to eat a few boiled eggs or toast some waffles.
But in Rome, Florence, and Venice, I was sure to taste the continental breakfast, a combination of pastries, yogurt, eggs, vegetables, and cappuccino.
The spike may have occurred around this time because my body wasn’t used to eating breakfast and I was choosing something high in sugar.
At the end of my Italy trip, my average blood sugar was 101 mg/dl and I spent 96% of the time within my target range.
I was also 95% within my target range in the US, but this doesn’t tell the whole story as I was suffering from regular spikes in blood sugar.
Doctors refer to the sudden rise in blood sugar levels after a meal as postprandial hyperglycemia. If you suffer from these regularly, over time they can cause problems with your kidneys, nerves, eyes, and heart.
I was surprised at how energetic and healthy I felt, even while eating my favorite foods in Italy. I’ll probably check ingredient lists more often in the U.S. from now on.
When I get home to eat Italian food, I’ll try to include a post-dinner walk (before opening a bottle of wine and settling on the couch for the evening!).
