Eating French fries three times a week may raise diabetes risk by 20%: Study

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New Delhi– Regularly eating French fries may significantly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study that tracked the diets of over 200,000 adults. Researchers found that consuming French fries three or more times per week was linked to a 20 percent higher risk of diabetes.

Published in the BMJ, the study found that other forms of potatoes—such as baked, boiled, or mashed—were not associated with an increased risk. In fact, replacing potatoes with whole grains could help reduce the risk of diabetes.

“The public health message here is simple and powerful: small changes in our daily diet can have an important impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Limiting potatoes—especially French fries—and choosing healthy, whole-grain sources of carbohydrate could help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes across the population.”

The study followed 205,107 men and women over more than three decades. Participants completed regular dietary questionnaires that included their intake of French fries, other types of potatoes, and whole grains. Over the course of the study, 22,299 participants developed type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that replacing baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes with whole grains could reduce diabetes risk by 4 percent. Replacing French fries with whole grains, however, was associated with a 19 percent reduction in risk. Even substituting refined grains for French fries showed a potential benefit.

The findings reinforce previous research linking fried foods to metabolic health issues and emphasize the importance of whole grains as part of a healthy diet. (Source: IANS)