-


FRENCH FRIES, POTATOES, AND DIABETES RISKS






French fries might be doing more harm than you think—especially if you’re reaching for them a few times a week. New research published in The BMJ found that eating French fries three times a week is linked to a 20% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But here’s the surprising part: the same amount of potatoes prepared by boiling, baking, or mashing didn’t show the same dramatic effect.

Researchers followed more than 205,000 American health professionals, all initially free from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, for nearly 40 years. They tracked the participants’ diets through detailed questionnaires. Throughout the study, more than 22,000 people developed type 2 diabetes.

After crunching the numbers and adjusting for lifestyle and dietary habits, the results were precise: eating potatoes in general was tied to a slight (5%) increase in diabetes risk, but fried potatoes—French fries—stood out with a much bigger jump. Baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes just didn’t carry the same risk.

But there’s more. Replacing potatoes with whole grains made a real difference. Swapping three servings of potatoes each week for three servings of whole grains dropped the risk of type 2 diabetes by 8%. If you replace French fries specifically with entire grains, the risk fell by an impressive 19%. On the flip side, substituting potatoes with white rice actually increased the risk.

Why does this happen? Potatoes have plenty of good stuff—fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium—but they’re also full of starch, and have a high glycemic index. That means they can spike your blood sugar, especially when fried.

Of course, this study was observational, so it can’t prove that French fries directly cause diabetes, and most participants were health professionals of European ancestry. Still, the findings line up with current advice: whole grains are a wiser, protective choice, while preparation method matters for potatoes.

So, should potatoes be off the menu? Not necessarily. Baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes can be part of a healthy diet, especially if you’re focusing on whole foods and minimizing ultra-processed options. But if you want to lower your diabetes risk, think twice before reaching for fries—and consider shifting toward entire grains.

Ready to improve your diet and protect your long-term health? Get personalized guidance and support from a ProTime-Fitness health coach. Visit ProTime-Fitness.org to get started on your path to healthier eating and a stronger you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
DIABETES: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, MANAGEMENT, AND PREVENTION    Diabetes is a complex, chronic condition that comes in several forms, each with its own causes, risks, and best ways to manage it.  Diabetes alters how your body uses insulin, a substance produced in the pancreas, required by cells to absorb sugar in the form of glycogen. When glycogen is unavailable to your cells, they lack an energy source. The two most common types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is primarily an autoimmune issue—your own immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas (Nature Reviews Disease Primers) There are rare, less-understood forms as well, often linked to genetics. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for over 90% of all cases, develops when your body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t make enough of it (Nature Reviews Disease Primers; NY.gov). Symptoms can be similar to Type 1, but often develop more gradually and can also include blurred...
Read more

Diabetes drugs may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

-
Image
    Diabetes drugs may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. The study finds people taking the drugs have fewer biomarkers, slower cognitive decline. People taking certain drugs to lower blood sugar for type 2 diabetes had less amyloid in the brain, a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease compared to people with type 2 diabetes who are not taking the drugs and those without diabetes. The new study, published in the August 11, 2021, online issue of  Neurology , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, also found people taking these drugs, called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, showed slower cognitive decline than people in the other two groups. In people with type 2 diabetes, the body no longer efficiently uses insulin to control blood sugar. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, also known as gliptins, can be prescribed when other diabetes drugs do not work. They help control blood sugar when combined with diet and exercise. "People with diabetes have been shown to ...
Read more
-
Image
COLONOSCOPY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW A colonoscopy remains one of the most effective ways to detect and prevent colorectal cancer before it becomes a serious threat. During the procedure, doctors can find and remove precancerous polyps, significantly lowering your chances of developing colorectal cancer later on. Studies consistently show that getting a colonoscopy every 10 years—recommended for most adults at average risk—not only saves lives but also costs less over time compared to other screening methods like yearly fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) (Annals of Internal Medicine). Medical experts generally advise starting regular colonoscopy screenings around age 45 or 50, depending on your health history, and repeating them every decade if no issues are found. This timeline is supported by substantial evidence showing colorectal cancer rates stay very low within ten years of a clean colonoscopy (BMJ). If colorectal cancer or certain polyps run in your family, your doctor might suggest ...
Read more