&w=3840&q=100)
Eating French fries often raises diabetes risk, Harvard study warns
A study titled Total and specific potato intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three US cohort studies and a substitution meta-analysis of prospective cohorts, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ, tracked over 205,000 US adults for 30 years. It found that French fries were strongly linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, while baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes were not.
The research team from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health also found that swapping fries for whole grains like brown rice or quinoa cut the risk, but replacing them with refined carbs such as white rice did the opposite.
What did the study find?
Participants regularly reported how often they ate potatoes in different forms, such as French fries, baked, boiled, or mashed.
Over time, 22,299 participants developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers adjusted for lifestyle factors like physical activity, body weight, and overall diet to isolate how potatoes themselves influenced risk.
According to the study,
eating three extra servings of potatoes per week was linked to a 5 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
eating French fries three times a week was linked to a 20 per cent increase in diabetes risk. Those eating them five or more times a week had a 27 per cent higher risk.
baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes showed no significant increase in risk, making them a safer choice than fries.
The study also ran 'substitution models' to see what happens when potatoes are replaced with other carbs. The researchers found:
Swapping potatoes for whole grains lowered diabetes risk by 8 per cent.
Replacing French fries with whole grains dropped the risk by a striking 19 per cent.
Replacing potatoes with white rice actually increased risk because of rice's high glycemic index.
So, should you stop eating potatoes?
Not at all. The researchers said it is not about cutting potatoes out completely, but how you eat them. Boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes, especially when eaten with the skin, still offer valuable nutrients like Vitamin C, potassium, fibre, and antioxidants.
But French fries? Best kept as an occasional treat, not a staple. Eating them too often nudges your blood sugar levels up and raises long-term diabetes risk.
Healthier swaps for potatoes
If you're looking to balance your plate, try:
Whole grains: quinoa, farro, brown rice, or barley.
Non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, beans, spinach, or carrots.
Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, or kidney beans.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Potatoes are not bad for type 2 diabetes. But, here's what you should know
Potatoes are among the world's most popular foods, known as the third most consumed crop after rice and are a staple in many diets, providing important nutrients such as fibre, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants. Despite this, potatoes often carry a bad reputation when it comes to type 2 diabetes, with many people assuming they are 'unhealthy' or unsafe for regular concern mainly lies in their high starch content. Potatoes have a high glycemic index, which means they can cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly. On top of that, the way potatoes are commonly cooked, as French fries or chips, strips them of nutrients and adds unhealthy fats, making them more harmful. But nutrition experts point out that it's not the potato itself that's the LATEST RESEARCH SAYSInstead, the risk depends on portion sizes, cooking methods, and the foods they are paired has looked closely at this connection. A recently published large study involving researchers from various institutions including Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Cambridge tracked more than two lakh people over several findings, published in the British Medical Journal, showed that eating French fries regularly was linked to a much higher risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes did not show the same strong association with diabetes study also revealed that what people replaced potatoes with mattered. For example, swapping them for whole grains reduced the risk of diabetes, while replacing them with white rice actually increased the numbers, every three additional servings of French fries per week increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 20%, while three servings of total potato raised the risk by 5%.Replacing those three potato servings with whole grains, however, lowered diabetes risk by up to 19%.POTATOES - NOT THE VILLIANNutrition experts believe potatoes have been unfairly branded as "bad foods."Dr. Renuka Dang, dietician at Global Rainbow Hospital, Agra, explains that potatoes are actually quite nutritious.'Potatoes contain vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus and have a high nutritional value. They're not bad at all. About 150 to 200 grams of potatoes would have around 150 calories and no fat. They also have a high water content. But yes, because they are rich in carbohydrates, you need to be careful about the quantity,' she Dang advises against pairing potatoes with rice, since the combination makes the meal excessively heavy in better way to include potatoes is to have them boiled or steamed, mixed with other vegetables or salads in small portions. In fact, she says it is perfectly safe to enjoy one medium-sized potato every day, as long as it is prepared in a healthy way and not makes it clear that potatoes are not the villain they are often made out to people with diabetes, the key is moderation and smart preparation. Choosing boiled or baked potatoes, eating them alongside fibre-rich vegetables, and avoiding fried versions allows potatoes to be part of a balanced and nutritious diet.- EndsTrending Reel
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Eating French fries often raises diabetes risk, Harvard study warns
French fries are a go-to comfort food for many. However, the medical researchers say this beloved snack raises the risk of type 2 diabetes. A study titled Total and specific potato intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three US cohort studies and a substitution meta-analysis of prospective cohorts, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ, tracked over 205,000 US adults for 30 years. It found that French fries were strongly linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, while baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes were not. The research team from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health also found that swapping fries for whole grains like brown rice or quinoa cut the risk, but replacing them with refined carbs such as white rice did the opposite. What did the study find? Participants regularly reported how often they ate potatoes in different forms, such as French fries, baked, boiled, or mashed. Over time, 22,299 participants developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers adjusted for lifestyle factors like physical activity, body weight, and overall diet to isolate how potatoes themselves influenced risk. According to the study, eating three extra servings of potatoes per week was linked to a 5 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes. eating French fries three times a week was linked to a 20 per cent increase in diabetes risk. Those eating them five or more times a week had a 27 per cent higher risk. baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes showed no significant increase in risk, making them a safer choice than fries. The study also ran 'substitution models' to see what happens when potatoes are replaced with other carbs. The researchers found: Swapping potatoes for whole grains lowered diabetes risk by 8 per cent. Replacing French fries with whole grains dropped the risk by a striking 19 per cent. Replacing potatoes with white rice actually increased risk because of rice's high glycemic index. So, should you stop eating potatoes? Not at all. The researchers said it is not about cutting potatoes out completely, but how you eat them. Boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes, especially when eaten with the skin, still offer valuable nutrients like Vitamin C, potassium, fibre, and antioxidants. But French fries? Best kept as an occasional treat, not a staple. Eating them too often nudges your blood sugar levels up and raises long-term diabetes risk. Healthier swaps for potatoes If you're looking to balance your plate, try: Whole grains: quinoa, farro, brown rice, or barley. Non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, beans, spinach, or carrots. Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, or kidney beans.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Calorie, a year-long exhibit at the Science Gallery Bengaluru, questions our relationship with food
In the 1820s, French scientist Nicolas Clément introduced the term calorie. In the two centuries since, human beings' and society's relationship with food has changed drastically. Today the study of food is a complex subject that comprises not only nutrition and agriculture, but also has geopolitics, technology, climate change, caste and gender under its umbrella. Science Gallery Bengaluru unveils a year-long exhibition titled Calorie, that uses the lens of art to engage and reflect on these subjects. Who grows your food? Who gets to eat it? What does it do to your body? And, how much waste does it create? All these dialogues and more are being discussed by this exhibition, that is supported by the Gates Foundation, British Council and MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions. 'We have a strong cultural relationship to food, and food is also an object of scientific research,' says Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, the founding director of the Science Gallery Bengaluru. 'Discussions about food have gained more currency in every domain of our life nowadays. Topics such as the science behind cooking, nutrition, Indian diet fads, and so on. As an informed citizen, whom do I take seriously?' The exhibition is an invitation to look beyond what is on our plate and to interrogate the systems, values, and choices that feed us. Some highlights from the exhibition Spread across two floors of the gallery, Calorie sees works by both international and Indian artists. Parag Kashinath Tandel's sensory installation, Food as an Archaeological Site: How to cook Bombay Duck looks at the fish, and the Koli fishing community of Mumbai, its migration patterns and pollution. The Bombay duck or Bombil fish holds relevance to the region's history. The artist uses materials like fishing gear, silicon rubber and dental plaster to create the work. Rajyashri Goody's Don't Lick It All Up looks at the relationship between food and caste. Using ceramics the artist recreates food, such as rice, meat and even earth as food , that is scavenged or begged for. It is accompanied by Omprakash Valmiki's book Joothan, and recipes extracted from Dalit memoirs. Orijit Sen's Mapping Mapusa Market, is an interactive installation about Goa's historic Mapusa Market. The Goa-based artist showcases the vibrant market through the mixed media work. Visitors can pick up questions and puzzles, the answers to which are in the installation. The Museum of Edible Earth is a project by artist titled Masharu. It looks at the communities around the globe who eat clay or soil. The exhibit has bottles of various clay varieties that people eat. In artist Surekha explores how Bengaluru's ragi-growing land has now been converted to a tech capital. She takes discarded keyboards and installs ragi plants in them. Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who is a board member of the gallery says, 'Calorie urges us to rethink how we use resources, grow crops, and adapt to climate change. Like our past work on carbon, it's a space for young minds and experts to question, experiment, and shape ideas that can influence policy. With the upcoming food lab, we aim to spark curiosity, inspire innovation, and drive a healthier, more sustainable future.' In the coming year, Calorie will also see food festivals, films screenings, workshops and lectures. The Calorie exhibition will run from August 2025 to July 2026. Entry free, Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM. At Bellary Road, Ganganagar. For more details, visit
