LONDON: People who eat three portions of French fries a week have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.
Those who consume similar amounts of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes do not have an increased risk, researchers found.
An international team, including experts from the University of Cambridge, investigated links between potato consumption and type 2 diabetes risk.
The study analysed data tracking the health of over 205,000 US health workers across nearly four decades.
During follow-up periods, around 22,000 cases of type 2 diabetes were documented.
Baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes showed no increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the findings.
However, those eating at least three weekly servings of French fries had a 20% higher risk.
Consuming fries five times a week appeared to raise the risk by 27%.
“The risks associated with potato intake varied by cooking method,“ the authors wrote in The BMJ.
“The association between higher potato intake and increased T2D risk is primarily driven by intake of French fries.”
Replacing three weekly potato servings with whole grains lowered type 2 diabetes risk by 8%.
“Replacing any form of potatoes, particularly French fries, with whole grains is estimated to lower the risk of T2D,“ the study noted.
Substituting potatoes with white rice, however, was linked to an increased diabetes risk.
A review of other studies on the topic supported these findings.
Experts in a linked editorial highlighted that French fries are often ultra-processed, unlike boiled or mashed potatoes.
“With their relatively low environmental impact, potatoes can be part of a healthy diet, though whole grains should remain a priority,“ they added.
Dr Faye Riley of Diabetes UK said the study reinforces advice to prioritise whole grains and reduce fried or processed foods. - Bernama
