Eating chips regularly raises risk of type 2 diabetes by 20%, study finds
Eating chips has been found to raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but baking, boiling or mashing potatoes was much healthier.
Consuming french fries three times a week increases the chances of someone getting the disease by 20% – and doing so five times a week by 27% – according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.
Globally, potatoes are the third most commonly consumed food crop, after rice and wheat.
Nine out of 10 of the estimated 5.8 million people in the UK with diabetes have the type 2 version of the disease, which is closely associated with lifestyle, especially diet.
The findings confirm potatoes do not of themselves pose a danger to health, but frying them to turn them into chips, and eating them regularly, does make a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes more likely.
An international team of researchers, led by Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, a public health expert at Harvard University, investigated the relationship between potato intake and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They based their findings on food questionnaires filled out by 205,000 health professionals in the US every four years between 1984 and 2021.
Someone who eats chips three times a week was found to raise their risk of diabetes by 20%, but those who ate potatoes with the same regularity after baking, boiling or mashing them did so by only 5%.
'The high starch content of potatoes, leading to a high glycemic index and load, combined with possible loss of nutrients and possible health risks resulting from various cooking methods, could contribute to adverse health outcomes,' the study explains.
Replacing potatoes with whole grains lowers the risk of diabetes by 8%, and if grains are eaten instead of chips specifically, that cuts the risk by 19%.
Dr Kawther Hashem, a lecturer in public health nutrition at Queen Mary University of London, said: 'Potatoes can be part of a healthy diet, but it's how we prepare them that makes the difference. Boiled, baked or mashed potatoes are naturally low in fat and a source of fibre, vitamin C and potassium.
'But when we deep fry them into chips or french fries, especially in large portions and with added salt, they become less healthy with their high-fat, salt and calorie content that's much more likely to contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.'
However, replacing any form of potatoes with white rice is a bad idea as it leads to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, the paper found.
Dr Hashem added: 'This research reinforces the simple message, which is to enjoy potatoes – just don't rely on chips as your go-to option. And, where possible, try swapping them out for whole grains like brown rice, bulgur wheat, wholemeal pasta or even sweet potato with skin on, which are healthier and protective for long-term health.'
The researchers stressed their findings were observational and did not prove a cause and effect relationship between eating chips and type 2 diabetes risk.
The Food Standards Agency and Department of Health and Social Care both declined to comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Missing out on £54m research fund ‘undermines' northern universities, say mayors
Universities in northern England face having their contribution to the economy undermined after they missed out on a share of £54 million, eight mayors have warned. A total 12 institutions have access to the money to help attract 60 to 80 leading researchers into the UK. But the mayors, including Labour's Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, Steve Rotheram in Liverpool and Tracy Brabin in West Yorkshire, have called on the Government to build a 'new funding model that truly reflects the strengths and aspirations of all of our regions'. They warned that investment was 'concentrated disproportionately in London and the South East'. According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the money is intended to bolster industrial strategy by helping universities to back research in sectors such as life sciences, defence and the creative industries. Beneficiaries include Oxford and Cambridge universities, the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, which is also based in Cambridge, Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham. Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, the University of Strathclyde in Scotland and Cardiff University in Wales are also listed as being in line for money from the fund. But northern universities' 'exclusion from the Global Talent Fund undermines their contribution to the UK's economic success, as well as the Government's stated commitment to rebalance our economy', the mayors wrote in a joint statement. They said: 'We are deeply disappointed that universities in the north of England, some of the best and brightest in the world, have once again been overlooked in the allocation of national innovation funding, despite their research credentials. 'The North is home to some of the UK's most innovative, high-performing universities. These institutions drive the development of life-changing technologies and work hand in hand with industry to create good jobs and grow the economy.' The cross-party group added: 'As mayors, we stand ready to support the Government in its mission to make the UK a global science superpower. 'But to truly deliver on that mission, investment in innovation must reflect the full breadth and depth of talent that exists across the country, not continue to be concentrated disproportionately in London and the South East. 'We are calling for urgent reform to ensure greater transparency and fairness in how public research and innovation funding is allocated. 'Strategic funds like this must support national growth, and that means recognising and investing in the full potential of the North of England and the 15 million people we collectively represent. 'We urge UK Research and Innovation to think again, review this disappointing decision and work together with us on creating a new funding model that truly reflects the strengths and aspirations of all of our regions, to build a brighter Britain that works for us all.' Reform UK mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, Luke Campbell, and Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, Lord Houchen of High Leven, joined the Labour politicians – who also include the South Yorkshire, North East and York and North Yorkshire mayors Oliver Coppard, Kim McGuinness and David Skaith – in signing the statement. Backing the fund last month, science minister Lord Vallance said 'genius is not bound by geography'. He continued: 'But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to incubate brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries.'
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Western Isles Council fined after death of care home resident
A council has been fined £80,000 after the death of a patient who went missing from one of its care homes in the Western MacLeod, who was 69 and had dementia, left St Brendan's Care Home in Barra by the only door in the building that was not fitted with an was missing for about four hours before a coastguard helicopter found him in the early hours of 9 March last year on the patio of a house near the home. He died in hospital a short time authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, which has pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches, said it wished to express its condolences to Mr MacLeod's family. The council was fined at Lochmaddy Sheriff Court in North Uist on court heard that Mr MacLeod had been placed in the council-operated care home in October 2023 so he could be closer to one of his observed his behaviour during his first month in the home to help them better understand the care he 8 March 2024, he was settled into his bed at about 21:00 and hourly checks were made of his was found empty at 02:00 on 9 March, and searches were made of the court heard that to avoid being detected by staff, Mr MacLeod had left the building using an exit about 10m (33ft) from his room and not fitted with an alarm. Electronic tag Workers at the home alerted Police Scotland and a search involving coastguard, RNLI and fire service personnel was launched of the surrounding area.A coastguard helicopter fitted with heat detection equipment found Mr MacLeod at about 06:00. He had facial injuries consistent with falling to the ground. Despite the efforts of medical staff he died an hour later.A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that he had made several previous attempts to leave the home. Carers had tried fitting an electronic tag to Mr MacLeod's clothing to track his movements but he would manage to find the device and remove said after Mr MacLeod's death St Brendan's Care Home introduced a regime of half hourly checks on also said arrangements had been made to install keypad entry systems on all doors but this work had not been completed before Mr MacLeod went sentencing, HSE inspector Ashley Fallis said: "This was a tragic and preventable death."The council should have made sure the home had stronger measures in place with Mr MacLeod's risks already known and assessed."Although changes have since been made, they came too late to prevent his death." Door security Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said it accepted that health and safety shortcomings contributed to the incident.A spokesperson said: "Comhairle nan Eilean Siar once again extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the late Mr Allan Macleod for the circumstances surrounding his tragic passing on 9 March 2024."The comhairle hopes that the conclusion of this case will offer the family some closure."The local authority said the door security system in use at St Brendan's Care Home was a key factor in this case. A new security system had been purchased, but at the time of the incident the work to install it had not been spokesperson said: "Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is committed to the delivery of high standards of care to all residents in our residential homes. "In this instance these standards were not fully met."They said the comhairle had implemented health and safety improvements and would continue to work with the Care Inspectorate to ensure its residential homes operated to the highest possible standards.
Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Ozempic-style pill can help people lose two stone
A daily pill that works like Ozempic can help slimmers lose an average of two stone, trials have found. The study of overweight and obese adults given the drug, which targets appetite receptors, found they lost significant amounts of weight and saw improvements in heart health. Orforglipron is part of a class of medications which has shown promise turning the tide on a host of conditions, including heart disease and strokes. The medicine works by targeting the same GLP-1 receptors as the drugs Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, which are given as injections. Orforglipron is the first pill of its kind to complete phase III trials, with previous oral medications having resulted in less weight loss and requiring complex food and water restrictions. The drug is expected to be available in the UK as soon as next year at a much lower cost than weight-loss injections. Manufacturer Eli Lilly has said it is confident they would be able to launch it globally without any supply constraints. Experts have said it could prove 'game-changing' with millions more people likely to opt for pills. The results announced by Eli Lilly come from a trial of 3,127 adults who were overweight or obese, and also had a weight-related medical problem, such as high blood pressure or heart disease. The drug has already shown good results in patients with type 2 diabetes. At 72 weeks, there was average weight loss of 27. 3lbs (12.4 kilos). And six in 10 participants lost at least 10 per cent of their body weight. Separate trials have shown other injections have caused greater weight loss - with average loss of almost three and half stone (22 kilos) for those on the highest dose of Mounjaro. But the convenience of a daily pill, and a lower cost, is likely to appeal to an even greater market than those taking injections. The trial also found that orforglipron was associated with reductions in known markers of cardiovascular risk, including non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure in pooled analyses across all doses. Detailed results will be presented next month at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting 2025 in Vienna. Obesity affects 1 billion people worldwide Kenneth Custer, president of Eli Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said: ' Obesity is one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time, driving global chronic disease burden and impacting more than 1 billion people worldwide.' 'With orforglipron, we're working to transform obesity care by introducing a potential once-daily oral therapy that could support early intervention and long-term disease management, while offering a convenient alternative to injectable treatments. 'With these positive data in hand, we are now planning to submit orforglipron for regulatory review by year-end and are prepared for a global launch to address this urgent public health need.' Dr Simon Cork, a senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University, said: 'These preliminary results on the effectiveness of orforglipron in promoting clinically significant weight loss are a positive step forward in the development of these class of drugs. 'It should be noted that their effects on weight loss are not as profound as that seen in injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Wegovy, with a lower percentage weight loss and fewer people achieving 10 per cent weight loss at the highest dose. 'Nevertheless, that this medication is an oral form, rather than injectable, will likely be seen as more tolerable for many patients. The manufacturing costs are also anticipated to be significantly lower than injectable drugs, meaning these medications may be more equitable in their availability. 'It should be noted that these are preliminary, non-peer reviewed results and we will need to see the full trial methodology and data before a more comprehensive analysis can be undertaken.'
