"Avoid Your Burger's Best Friend... Frequent Consumption of French Fries Raises Diabetes Risk by Up to 27%"

Harvard Research Team Finds
"French Fries Consumption Raises Risk of Type 2 Diabetes"

French fries are a perfect companion to hamburgers, but a study has found that eating them frequently increases the risk of diabetes.

A study has found that French fries may significantly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

According to The Guardian on August 6 (local time), a research team led by Professor Seyed Mohammad Mousavi from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the United States published a paper in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on the same day. The paper reported that eating French fries three times a week increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 20%, and eating them five or more times a week raises the risk by up to 27%.

The research team surveyed and analyzed the dietary habits of 205,000 healthcare professionals in the United States every four years from 1984 to 2021.

The study found that consuming French fries three times a week increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 20%. However, eating potatoes that were baked, boiled, or mashed the same number of times resulted in only a 5% increase in risk.

Additionally, replacing potatoes with whole grains reduced the risk of diabetes by 8%, and substituting French fries with whole grains lowered the risk by 19%. However, replacing potatoes with white rice actually increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The research team explained, "The high starch content of potatoes leads to a high glycemic index and glycemic load, and depending on the cooking method, nutrient loss and health risks can combine to produce negative health outcomes."

However, the researchers noted, "This study is based on observational research," and clarified, "It does not prove a causal relationship between French fry consumption and the development of diabetes."

Potatoes are the third most widely consumed food crop in the world after rice and wheat. This study suggests that while potatoes themselves do not directly harm health, frequently consuming them as French fries increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

Kauser Hashem, a lecturer in public health nutrition at Queen Mary University of London, stated, "Potatoes can be part of a healthy diet, but the cooking method is important. Boiled or baked potatoes are low in fat and rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. However, when potatoes are fried to make French fries, the fat, salt, and calorie content increase, which raises the risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes."