Research results have shown that consuming French fries increases the risk of developing diabetes. However, substituting them with other whole grains such as farro and whole wheat can lower the risk of diabetes.
Researchers from Harvard University noted that "the higher the intake of French fries, the greater the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, whereas potato consumption prepared by other methods does not show this pattern," in an international journal, the British Medical Journal (BMJ), on 6th (local time).
Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which insulin is produced but blood sugar control is inadequate, primarily caused by factors such as obesity, genetics, and dietary habits. In contrast, type 1 diabetes patients cannot produce insulin due to damage to pancreatic cells.
The research team analyzed the eating habits and health status of 205,107 adult men and women working in the healthcare field over a period of more than 30 years. Among them, 22,299 individuals were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the study period.
The analysis found that consuming French fries three times a week increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by about 20%. Boiled or baked potatoes and mashed potatoes did not show a significant correlation with diabetes risk.
This study not only analyzed the correlation between potato consumption and the disease but also examined the health impact of substituting potatoes with other foods. Replacing French fries with whole grains such as whole wheat or farro reduced the risk of diabetes by 19%.
Even when French fries were replaced with refined grains like white rice, the risk of diabetes was found to decrease. This indicates that French fries pose a greater health risk than refined grains. Changing boiled or mashed potatoes to whole grains led to a 4% reduction in diabetes risk.
Dr. Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, the first author of the paper, stated, "Previous studies did not sufficiently consider the impact of cooking methods or alternative foods," and added that "this study presents the relationship with diabetes risk most comprehensively by tracking eating habits over decades."
The research team also conducted a meta-analysis utilizing existing cohort studies that were previously published. A meta-analysis is a method of collecting and analyzing individual research papers published in a specific field.
The data from 13 cohort studies related to potato consumption and 11 cohort studies related to whole grain consumption were analyzed separately. These included over 500,000 individuals, including 40,000 diagnosed with diabetes across four continents: Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania. The results of the meta-analysis showed trends similar to these findings.
Professor Walter Willett, the correspondence author of the paper, said, "The key message of this study is that reducing French fries and substituting them with healthy whole grain carbohydrates is effective in preventing diabetes." He noted the need for more detailed attention to cooking methods and alternative foods, emphasizing that just as not all carbohydrates are the same, not all potatoes are the same and this should be reflected in dietary guidelines.
References
BMJ(2025), D0I: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-082121