French fries and diabetes: Eating three servings of French fries a week is linked to a 20% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while similar amounts of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes do not significantly increase the risk, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers from Harvard and Cambridge universities analysed dietary data from more than 200,000 people who were free of diabetes, heart disease, or cancer at the start of the study. Over a follow-up period of up to 40 years, about 22,300 participants developed diabetes.
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The findings showed that replacing three weekly servings of potatoes with whole grains reduced the risk of diabetes by 8%, while swapping French fries for whole grains cut the risk by 19%. In contrast, replacing potatoes with white rice increased the risk.
While potatoes provide fibre, vitamin C, and magnesium, they are high in starch and have a high glycaemic index, which can cause blood sugar levels to rise. The researchers noted that previous studies on potato consumption often failed to consider preparation methods or the foods they replaced in the diet.
Overall, three weekly servings of potatoes were linked to a modest 5% increase in diabetes risk, compared with the 20% rise associated with French fries. The data came from three large US-based studies: the Nurses’ Health Study (1984–2020), Nurses’ Health Study II (1991–2021), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986–2018).
