WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Eating French fries often may raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.
The study looked at health data from over 205,000 medical workers in the U.S. over nearly 40 years. During that time, over 22,000 cases of type 2 diabetes were reported.
The research showed that potatoes themselves are not harmful, but regularly eating fried potatoes, like French fries or chips, increases the risk of the disease. It also revealed that eating fries three times a week increases the risk by 20 percent, and eating them five times a week raises the risk by 27 percent.
'The high starch content of potatoes, leading to a high glycemic index and load, combined with possible loss of nutrients and possible health risks resulting from various cooking methods, could contribute to adverse health outcomes,' the study explained.
In comparison, people who ate baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes three times a week only saw a 5 percent increase in risk. The study also found that replacing potatoes with whole grains reduced diabetes risk by 8 percent, and swapping out fries specifically for grains lowered the risk by 19 percent.
However, replacing potatoes with white rice had the opposite effect, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The researchers noted that the study was observational, meaning it shows a link but doesn't prove that fries directly cause diabetes.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
