A new study has found eating a certain amount of French fries a week can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Nothing beats salt-coated fries straight out of the fryer, but next time you order a burger, you may want to tell the restaurant, “Hold the fries!”
A study published in The BMJ journal Wednesday found eating three servings of fries a week could increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 20 percent.
Those who eat fries five times a week have a 27 percent increased risk of the chronic disease, according to the study.
But potato lovers should not fear, as researchers found those who eat similar amounts of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes do not face an elevated risk of the disease.
An international team, including an expert from the University of Cambridge, analyzed health data from more than 205,000 U.S. health workers, with repeated surveys about their diets, tracking their well-being over nearly four decades.
During this extensive follow-up period, some 22,000 cases of type 2 diabetes were documented.
“The risks associated with potato intake varied by cooking method,” the researchers wrote. “The association between higher potato intake and increased T2D risk is primarily driven by intake of French fries.”
The research team also found that replacing three servings of potatoes each week with whole grains was found to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 8 percent.
“Replacing any form of potatoes, particularly French fries, with whole grains is estimated to lower the risk of T2D, reinforcing the importance of promoting whole grains as an essential part of a healthy diet,” researchers wrote.
But replacing potatoes with white rice was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, they found.
In a linked editorial, also published in The BMJ, experts from the U.S. and Denmark wrote: “This finding also corresponds to the observed associations between high intake of ultra-processed foods and high risk of type 2 diabetes – French fries are often ultra-processed, whereas baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes are often minimally processed.”
They added: “With their relatively low environmental impact and their health impact, potatoes can be part of a healthy and sustainable diet, though whole grains should remain a priority.”
