In a research that tracked the diets of greater than 205,000 adults over a long time, French fries had been related to an elevated threat of creating kind 2 diabetes (T2D), whereas different types of potatoes—together with baked, boiled, and mashed—weren’t. The research, led by Harvard T.H. Chan Faculty of Public Well being additionally discovered that swapping any type of potato for complete grains might decrease the chance of T2D.
The research was printed within the BMJ.
In keeping with the researchers, whereas earlier research hinted at a hyperlink between potatoes and T2D, the proof was inconsistent and sometimes lacked element on cooking strategies and the potential results of substituting different meals for potatoes.
“Our research presents deeper, extra complete insights by several types of potatoes, monitoring weight loss plan over a long time, and exploring the results of swapping potatoes for different meals,” stated lead writer Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, postdoctoral analysis fellow within the Division of Vitamin.
“We’re shifting the dialog from, ‘Are potatoes good or dangerous?’ to a extra nuanced—and helpful—query: How are they ready, and what may we eat as an alternative?”
The researchers examined the diets and diabetes outcomes of 205,107 women and men enrolled within the Nurses’ Well being Research, Nurses’ Well being Research II, and Well being Professionals Comply with-up Research.
For greater than 30 years, contributors frequently responded to dietary questionnaires, detailing the frequency with which they consumed sure meals, together with French fries; baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes; and complete grains.
Additionally they reported on new well being diagnoses, together with T2D, and numerous different well being, life-style, and demographic elements, which the researchers managed for. Over the course of the research interval, 22,299 contributors reported that they developed T2D.
The research discovered that three servings weekly of French fries elevated the chance of creating T2D by 20%. Baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes weren’t considerably related to T2D threat.
The researchers calculated, nonetheless, that consuming complete grains—similar to complete grain pasta, bread, or farro—rather than baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes might scale back the chance of T2D by 4%. Changing French fries with complete grains might deliver T2D threat down by 19%. Even swapping refined grains for French fries was estimated to decrease T2D threat.
The researchers complemented their research with a novel meta-analytic strategy to estimate how swapping potatoes for complete grains might have an effect on the chance of T2D, utilizing information from beforehand printed cohort research.
This concerned two separate meta-analyses: one based mostly on information from 13 cohorts inspecting potato consumption and the opposite from 11 cohorts on complete grain consumption, every encompassing over 500,000 contributors and 43,000 T2D diagnoses throughout 4 continents. The outcomes had been intently in keeping with these of the brand new research.
“The general public well being message right here is straightforward and highly effective: small modifications in our day by day weight loss plan can have an necessary influence on the chance of kind 2 diabetes. Limiting potatoes—particularly limiting French fries—and selecting wholesome, whole-grain sources of carbohydrate might assist decrease the chance of kind 2 diabetes throughout the inhabitants,” stated corresponding writer Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and vitamin.
“For policymakers, our findings spotlight the necessity to transfer past broad meals classes and pay nearer consideration to how meals are ready and what they’re changing. Not all carbs—and even all potatoes—are created equal, and that distinction is essential with regards to shaping efficient dietary tips.”
Extra info:
Complete and particular potato consumption and threat of kind 2 diabetes: outcomes from three US cohort research and a substitution meta-analysis of potential cohorts, The BMJ (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2024-082121
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Potatoes might enhance threat of kind 2 diabetes—relying on their preparation (2025, August 6)
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