Popular foods increase diabetes risk by 20%

(Dan Tri) - A new study from Harvard University (USA) has identified a link between eating potatoes and the risk of diabetes. The good news is that not all potatoes are the same.

The link between potatoes and diabetes

There are many types of potatoes you can eat, but one way of preparing them has a clear downside. Researchers followed more than 205,000 people for more than 30 years, closely examining their diets.

They found that eating three servings of fried potatoes a week increased the risk of diabetes by 20%, but other types of potatoes, including baked and mashed potatoes, did not.

However, they also found that replacing any type of potato with whole grains could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 4%.

According to research, eating 3 servings of French fries a week increases the risk of diabetes by 20% (Photo: Stock.adobe).

Additionally, according to The New York Post , replacing French fries with whole grains even reduced the risk by 19 percent, while even replacing them with refined grains like white bread made a positive difference.

“The public health message here is simple and powerful, small changes to our daily diet can have a significant impact on our risk of type 2 diabetes,” said Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition Walter Willett.

Accordingly, limiting potatoes, especially French fries, and choosing healthy carbohydrate sources from whole grains can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes across the population.

This is the second study in the past year to look at the relationship between potatoes and diabetes. The most recent study, conducted in Australia, found that people who ate the most potatoes had a 9% higher risk of developing diabetes than those who ate the least potatoes.

And their findings determined that boiled potatoes are the best choice.

“When we separated boiled potatoes from mashed potatoes and fried potatoes, boiled potatoes were no longer associated with a higher risk of diabetes,” said Dr Nicola Bondonno from the Institute for Nutrition and Health Innovation at Edith Cowan University, which carried out the study.

Only fried potatoes and mashed potatoes increased the risk, and mashed potatoes may be because they are often made with butter, cream and similar ingredients, they found.

Health benefits of potatoes

Choosing healthier potato recipes seems to be key, especially since potatoes actually offer a lot of health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants such as flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, which can help fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Although starch gets a bad rap, potatoes contain resistant starch, which helps feed nutrients and beneficial gut bacteria. This is great for digestive health and blood sugar control.

In 2022, Polish researchers discovered that glycoalkaloids — natural chemicals found in potatoes, bell peppers, and goji berries — have some anti-cancer properties.

Consuming potatoes brings many health benefits (Photo: Pexels).

According to Healthline , different types of potatoes also vary in their glycemic index (GI), a measure of how a given food affects blood sugar. Foods with a GI of 70 or higher raise blood sugar more quickly than foods with a medium GI of 56-69 or a low GI of 55 or less.

For example, boiled red potatoes have a GI of 89 while baked Russet potatoes have a GI of 111.

People with diabetes or other blood sugar problems may benefit from limiting high GI foods. How eating potatoes affects your blood sugar largely depends on the type of potato, the portion size, and the cooking method.

Doctors also recommend that people maintain a healthy diet, exercise , limit sweets, carbonated drinks, fast food... and maintain regular health check-ups and blood sugar tests to promptly detect and manage diabetes.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/loai-thuc-pham-nhieu-nguoi-thich-lam-tang-nguy-co-mac-tieu-duong-20-20250826112711053.htm