Extra fries no more: Eating 3 servings a week could increase diabetes risk by 20%

New Delhi: Consuming three servings of French fries a week is associated with a 20 per cent increased chance of developing diabetes; however, similar quantities of potatoes that are boiled, baked or mashed do not significantly raise this risk, a study published in the British Medical Journal said.

Researchers, including those from Harvard and Cambridge universities, analysed the questionnaire responses of over two lakh people who were free of diabetes, heart disease or cancer at the study's start.

Over a follow-up period of 40 years, about 22,300 participants were found to have developed diabetes.

"For every increment of three servings weekly of French fries, the rate increased by 20 per cent. Intake of combined baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes was not significantly associated with (type 2 diabetes) risk," the authors wrote.

"The (type 2 diabetes) risk linked to potato intake seemed to depend on the food being replaced: replacing potato with whole grains was associated with lower risk, whereas replacing it with white rice was associated with increased risk," they added.

While potatoes provide nutrients such as fibre, vitamin C, and magnesium, they are also high in starch and have a high glycemic index, which is linked to an increased risk of diabetes.

However, the authors emphasised that previous assessments of potatoes' overall impact on health did not take into account the preparation methods or specific foods they were compared against.

Specifically, consuming three servings of potatoes each week was linked to a 5 per cent increase in diabetes risk, while three servings of French fries resulted in a 20 per cent increase.

Furthermore, switching from three servings of potatoes to whole grains was associated with an 8 per cent reduction in diabetes risk, while replacing three servings of French fries with whole grains reduced risk by 19 per cent, the author said.

The data for the analysis were obtained from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2020), the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2021), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2018), all of which are US-based.