Eating 3 servings of French fries every week could raise diabetes risk by 20 per cent, study finds
Researchers, including those from Harvard and Cambridge universities, analysed the questionnaire responses of over two lakh people who were free of diabetes, heart disease or cancer at the study's start. Over a follow-up period of 40 years, about 22,300 participants were found to have developed diabetes.
"For every increment of three servings weekly of French fries, the rate increased by 20 per cent. Intake of combined baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes was not significantly associated with (type 2 diabetes) risk," the authors wrote.
"The (type 2 diabetes) risk linked to potato intake seemed to depend on the food being replaced: replacing potato with whole grains was associated with lower risk, whereas replacing it with white rice was associated with increased risk," they added.
While potatoes provide nutrients such as fibre, vitamin C, and magnesium, they are also high in starch and have a high glycemic index, which is linked to an increased risk of diabetes.
However, the authors emphasised that previous assessments of potatoes' overall impact on health did not take into account the preparation methods or specific foods they were compared against.
Specifically, consuming three servings of potatoes each week was linked to a 5 per cent increase in diabetes risk, while three servings of French fries resulted in a 20 per cent increase.
Furthermore, switching from three servings of potatoes to whole grains was associated with an 8 per cent reduction in diabetes risk, while replacing three servings of French fries with whole grains reduced risk by 19 per cent, the author said.
The data for the analysis were obtained from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2020), the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2021), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2018), all of which are US-based.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
When fries turn out to be a hot potato
A study published in The BMJ links potato consumption — especially fried potatoes — to a higher likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Boiled and baked potatoes pose a lower risk than fried, but substituting the vegetable with whole grains further reduces the risk of T2D. White rice, however, is associated with greater risks of T2D. Childhood obesity — with strong links to T2D in later years — is on the rise in the country, as consumption of fried potato-based snacks has boomed over the past few decades. (HT Photo) The findings are of particular interest for India and should prompt a course correction, given the country is grappling with high T2D incidence — as per the International Diabetes Federation, China, India, and the US make up the top three countries for the highest number of diabetics and are projected to remain so till 2045. Potato's ubiquity across regional cuisines in India and the versatility of its use are well known. This is what makes it so singularly dangerous for India in the context of battling diabetes. While the per capita consumption is low — less than 15% of world leader Belarus, as per the World Population Review — overall consumption is quite high, second only to China. Childhood obesity — with strong links to T2D in later years — is on the rise in the country. Consumption of fried potato-based snacks such as French fries and potato wafers has boomed over the past few decades — indeed, as India turned a major exporter of frozen French fries from being an importer, domestic consumption also rocketed. Throw in India's high white rice consumption, and the diabetes threat starts to look like an epidemic. Diabetes is associated with systemic degradation — it can cause blindness, renal and cardiac troubles, and skin ulcers, among others, mediated by various neuropathies, myopathies and vascular conditions linked to it. The BMJ findings should be an opportunity to focus on reducing risks by nudging healthier eating by children and adults alike. This will not be easy given rice and potato are staples.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Acko ramps up health insurance play to expand healthcare reach
BENGALURU : Nearly a year after acquiring Better Capital-backed chronic-care startup OneCare, insurtech Acko Technology and Services Pvt. Ltd is doubling down on health insurance offerings, expanding partnerships with hospitals and clinics to tap into the growing opportunity in the space, a top executive told Mint. The Bengaluru-based unicorn acquired the digital chronic-care management company in an all-cash deal in 2024 to enter the health insurance segment. The firm, which began with auto insurance in 2016, is now working on integrating the entire process of buying health insurance—from picking a lab for medical testing to interacting with a hospital for claims. 'The problem in the health insurance industry today is that the burden of the entire process is on the customer. If there's a breakdown in the system, they're on their own. We're working towards integrating the entire system on our app and actually hand-holding customers to pick the best testing labs and hospitals," Animesh Das, managing director and chief executive of Acko General Insurance, told Mint in an interview. Acko aims to capitalize on the booming Indian healthcare sector, which is valued at over $372 billion and is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 21% since 2014, according to estimates by government think tank Niti Aayog. With health premiums already accounting for more than half of Acko's overall premium income, the firm has invested substantially to grow the segment over the last year, Das said. Acko has secured nearly $450 million in funding from investors, including Multiples PE, Accel, Elevation Capital, and General Atlantic. It was last valued at $1.1 billion in October 2021. Last week, cricketer M.S. Dhoni announced his investment in the firm and hopped on board as its brand ambassador. In the healthcare sector, Acko is in direct competition with players such as PharmEasy, HealthQuad-backed HealthifyMe, and HealthPlix that provide healthcare services such as diagnostic tests and doctor consultations. Motor insurance slowdown While Acko is yet to officially file its 2024-25 financials with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), it witnessed 'measured growth" during the year. 'It was a year of learning to know what levers will drive growth for us. Doubling down on health is a product of that learning," Das said. 'Healthcare services are a long-term game for us." The integration of its various insurance services will also result in customers engaging with the platform more regularly, which otherwise tends to be an annual activity. In the fiscal year ended March 2024, Acko's revenue climbed to ₹2,106 crore from ₹1,758 crore in the year prior, filings available with the RoC showed. Its losses narrowed marginally to ₹670 crore from ₹738 crore. Acko is among venture capital firm Elevation Capital's portfolio companies looking to get publicly listed soon. Mint reported on 6 August that the VC firm plans to take at least nine portfolio companies public over the next 12-24 months, as it gears up to monetize its portfolio amid improving public market conditions for tech and consumer startups in the country. Das declined to comment on the IPO timeline. Acko is evolving its model to keep up with a slowdown in the industry. The firm has struck a partnership with American carmaker Tesla Inc. as the insurance partner in India. 'Tesla's branding of a new-age automaker designed for young and aspirational buyers ties in well with the shift in consumer cohorts in our insurance products," Das said. A July Nuvama report said the insurance industry in India is slowing primarily due to moderation in auto sales and a drop in corporate renewal policies. Motor insurance growth has slowed down due to weak retail motor sales. The gross direct premium income (GDPI) in the motor segment rose 6.7% in June 2025, compared to 8.2% in the year-ago period.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Calicut varsity ties up with coop. tech company to develop supercapacitors
The Advanced Materials Research Lab at the University of Calicut has partnered with a Parappanangadi-based tech company to develop supercapacitors, the high-capacity energy storage devices, using indigenous methods. University sources said on Thursday that the collaboration with Malabar Co-op Tech was aimed at taking a breakthrough material developed entirely in India from the lab to real-world applications. The research team lead by Yahya Ismail, Professor, Department of Chemistry, and his student, Sivakrishna Prakash, had been working for the past five years on developing a new-generation energy storage material that would address some of the biggest limitations in current supercapacitors. Ideal for electric vehicles The material combines polyaniline, a highly conductive polymer, with heteroatom-doped reduced graphene oxide, a modified carbon-based nanomaterial known for its exceptional surface area and electrical conductivity. Mr. Ismail and Mr. Prakash said that what sets this invention apart was the strong chemical bondingbetween the components, which would ensure high energy storage, rapid charging, and long-term durability. 'It can store more energy than typical supercapacitors, charge very quickly, and maintain performance for thousands of cycles—making it ideal for electric vehicles, solar energy systems, and portable electronics,' they said. M.K. Jaison, project head, Malabar Co-op Tech, said that the company would provide the engineering support, infrastructure, and technology platform required to manufacture complete supercapacitor devices, facilitating a seamless transition from lab-scale innovation to real-world application. He said that this was for the first time that a cooperative sector body was getting directly engaged in the high-tech energy storage manufacturing domain. Mr. Jaison said that India currently depends on imported electrode materials, primarily from China, to assemble supercapacitors. This over-reliance on imports and limited domestic research and development have historically stifled indigenous innovation and self-reliance in this critical clean energy segment. By focussing on both material development and device manufacturing within India, the project represents a key step towards building a fully localised supply chain for advanced energy storage solutions. It is expected to open up possibilities for large-scale commercialisation, technology export, and job creation in the clean energy sector, he added.
