Crispy, golden, and irresistible—French fries are the ultimate comfort food. But behind the delicious and salty golden dish lies a question we can’t ignore: do our beloved French fries come with hidden health risks, especially when it comes to diabetes? Here’s what a new study has to say.
French Fries Might Be Raising Your Diabetes Risk
According to a study published in the medical journal The BMJ, eating three servings of French fries a week can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 20%. For this study, the authors examined the diets of more than 205,000 adults in the US. They all had to fill out questionnaires about what they ate over nearly four decades.
The authors of the study found “In the pooled analysis of the three cohorts, adjusted for age and total energy intake, a strong association was found between total potato intake and higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).”
The study further revealed that replacing any form of potatoes with whole grains is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. However, swapping them for white rice is linked to an increased risk.
Food Preparation Is Key To Overall Health
While regular French fries consumption could raise type two diabetes risk, the study found that the issue wasn’t with potatoes but how they were cooked. It revealed that having similar amounts of boiled, baked or mashed potatoes in a week does not substantially increase the risk of diabetes in an individual. As per Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the way foods are prepared is key to their overall health risks or benefits.
We always knew that French fries weren’t healthy, but the fact that they can potentially raise the risk of diabetes is very concerning.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/Didier VEILLON
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