When You Eat Pasta Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Cholesterol

Whether you're "carb loading" for a hike the next day, actively looking for alternatives to rice and bread, or simply trying to satisfy those pesky cravings, it's easy to go overboard on pasta, especially if you have a habit of eating it every day. The commonly accepted measure for a serving of most types of pasta, uncooked, is about 57 grams. 

And there's a good reason for that: Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a cup of shell pasta (64 grams) clocks in at 237 calories, 47.8 grams of carbohydrates, 1.71 grams of sugar, and nearly a gram of fat. Meanwhile, a cup of spaghetti (91 grams) has 338 calories, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 2.43 grams of sugar, and 1.37 grams of fat. Interestingly, it's widely known that there are 0 milligrams of cholesterol in pasta — which might shock you because, despite the absence of cholesterol, daily consumption of pasta can spell trouble for your heart health.

Many of the easily accessible sources of carbohydrates at your local grocery, like pasta that's made from white flour, are refined carbohydrates. These are carbohydrates that have been processed and, as a result, have low fiber content. 

There are numerous downsides to consuming refined carbohydrates: they aren't packed with nutrients (making them "empty calories," as Healthline puts it), may cause blood sugar levels to rise sharply, and have been associated with a long list of disease risks, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and certain types of cancer. 

A 2016 study in Missouri Medicine attributes the increase in cases of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in India to the one-two punch of refined carbohydrate intake and excessive sugar consumption. Meanwhile, a 2013 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology that examined more than 117,000 Chinese men and women between 40 and 74 years of age found a connection between increased risk of coronary heart disease and refined carbohydrate consumption.

Fortunately, you don't need to swear off pasta completely just to manage your cholesterol levels. You can still enjoy a plate of your favorite pasta dish on occasion, provided you use the right kind of pasta. It's generally a good idea to swap out white pasta with whole wheat or whole grain pasta (you can easily tell the difference by looking at them, as the latter options are darker in color). Other heart-friendly pasta alternatives are spiralized zucchini, shirataki noodles (which are popular among low-carb dieters), and pasta made from black beans, chickpeas, or edamame.

Another option is to incorporate toppings and sauces that are good for your heart into your pasta dish. Vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and zucchini are ideal options, as are scratch-made sauces (as opposed to pre-prepared store-bought ones, which tend to have high sugar content) and lean cuts of meat. Lastly, you'll want to keep the cheese on your pasta to a minimum, so that you don't consume too much saturated fat, which can also negatively affect your cholesterol levels.