Three servings weekly of French fries increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 20 percent
A new long-term study published in The BMJ found that eating three servings of French fries per week is associated with a 20 percent increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In contrast, consuming the same amount of potatoes prepared by baking, boiling, or mashing showed no significant impact on diabetes risk .
Researchers tracked dietary habits and health outcomes of more than 205,000 U.S. health professionals from 1984 to 2021, during which 22,299 participants developed type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle and dietary factors were controlled for in the analysis.
Moreover, replacing French fried potato servings with whole grains lowered the diabetes risk by 19 percent, while swapping any form of potato for whole grains reduced risk by up to 8 percent .
“This study offers deeper, more comprehensive insights. ‘How are they prepared, and what might we eat instead?’” said lead author Seyed Mohammad Mousavi .