The Healthiest (And Unhealthiest) Ways To Serve Spuds, According To Science

FriesThe humble potato is delicious, versatile and a source of fibre, vitamin C and magnesium – but how you prepare and cook them can vary massively, which can also alter just how good they are for you.A new study published in The BMJ found eating three lots of French fries a week is associated with a 20% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.Yet if you ate your spuds boiled, baked or mashed instead, it wouldn’t have such a negative impact.Potatoes vs whole grains vs white rice – which is better?While potatoes contain several important nutrients, they also have a high starch content and therefore a high glycemic index (GI), which has been linked to type 2 diabetes.Researchers wanted to investigate the association between intake of potatoes prepared by different methods (boiled, baked, mashed versus French fries) and the risk of type 2 diabetes.They also looked at the impact on health of replacing potatoes with other major carbohydrates, such as whole grains and rice.Data on more than 205,000 health professionals from three large US studies carried out between 1984 and 2021 was used. During almost 40 years of follow up, 22,299 people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After adjusting for lifestyle and dietary factors related to diabetes risk, researchers found that for every three weekly servings of potato, the rate of type 2 diabetes increased by 5%.For every three weekly servings of French fries, however, the rate increased by 20%.Similar intake of baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes was not associated with a significantly increased risk.If you want an even healthier option than potatoes, whole grains (think: brown rice, whole grain breads and quinoa) should be on your shopping list.Whole grains have been linked to lower insulin and blood pressure, as well as improved cholesterol levels, according to Mayo Clinic.The study found replacing three weekly servings of potato with whole grains lowered the type 2 diabetes rate by 8%.Substituting baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes with whole grains lowered the rate by 4%, and replacing French fries lowered the rate by 19%.In contrast, replacing total potatoes or baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes with white rice was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. There are a few limitationsThe study is observational so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect – researchers can’t rule out the possibility that other unmeasured factors may have influenced their results, either.Most participants were also health professionals of European ancestry, so findings may not apply to other populations.That said, they concluded: “Our findings underscore that the association between potato intake and type 2 diabetes risk depends on the specific foods used as replacement.“The findings also align with current dietary recommendations that promote the inclusion of whole grains as part of a healthy diet for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.”Dr Ruth Boocock, dietitian and Associate Professor at Teeside University, said the study “adds to the body of evidence that eating whole grain foods such as granary bread, brown rice and wholewheat pasta instead of more processed carbohydrates foods like french fries is beneficial for health, potentially reducing our risk of type 2 diabetes”.Cristóbal Morales, specialist in endocrinology and nutrition at Vithas Sevilla Hospital, said the study “provides valuable and already known evidence that supports current recommendations to prioritise whole grains and limit fried foods, even when it comes to options that may initially seem ‘healthy’ such as potatoes”. “A clear message: preventing type 2 diabetes starts with adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyles and nutrition,” Morales added. Related...Is Food Cooked On Its Use-By Date Safe To Eat The Next Day?I Just Learned Potatoes Came From This Common Fruit And I'll Never Look At Them The Same'Swamp Potatoes' Have Gone Viral, And It's The Easiest Slow Cooker Recipe I've Seen

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The Healthiest (And Unhealthiest) Ways To Serve Spuds, According To Science

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