Chip Consumption Linked to Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk, Major Study Finds
London, UK – A large-scale, decades-long study has revealed a significant link between frequent consumption of potato chips and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The research, published in the British Medical Journal, found that eating french fries three times a week elevates the risk of the disease by 20%, rising to 27% with consumption five times a week. Though, the study emphasizes that how potatoes are prepared is crucial, with baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes posing a much lower risk.
The investigation, led by Harvard University‘s Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, analyzed food questionnaires completed by over 205,000 US health professionals between 1984 and 2021. Results indicated that regular consumption of chips (three times weekly) increased diabetes risk by 20%, while similar consumption of potatoes prepared through healthier methods – baking, boiling, or mashing – only raised the risk by 5%.
Potatoes are the third most consumed food crop globally, following rice and wheat. In the UK, nine in ten of the estimated 5.8 million people with diabetes have the type 2 form, a condition strongly associated with lifestyle and dietary choices.
Researchers attribute the increased risk from chips to their high starch content, leading to a high glycemic index and load, coupled with potential nutrient loss and health risks associated with frying.The study found that substituting potatoes with whole grains reduced diabetes risk by 8%, and specifically replacing chips with whole grains lowered the risk by 19%.”Potatoes can be part of a healthy diet, but it’s how we prepare them that makes the difference,” explained Dr. Kawther Hashem, a lecturer in public health nutrition at Queen Mary University of London. “Boiled, baked or mashed potatoes are naturally low in fat and a source of fibre, vitamin C and potassium. But when we deep fry them into chips…they become less healthy.”
Interestingly, the study cautioned against replacing potatoes with white rice, as this was found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Experts recommend opting for whole grains like brown rice, bulgur wheat, wholemeal pasta, or sweet potatoes with the skin on as healthier alternatives.
The researchers stress that the findings are observational and do not definitively prove a causal relationship between chip consumption and diabetes risk. Neither the Food Standards Agency nor the Department of Health and Social Care offered comment on the study’s findings.
