Eating french fries can increase your diabetes risk: Study
A major Harvard study found that eating French fries five or more times a week can bump up your risk of type 2 diabetes by 27%.
Other types of potatoes—like baked, boiled, or mashed—didn't show the same risk.
Researchers tracked over 205,000 adults from the mid-80s to 2021
Researchers tracked over 205,000 adults from the mid-80s to 2021.
They saw that for every extra three servings of fries per week, diabetes risk climbed another 20%.
In total, about 22,300 people in the study developed type 2 diabetes.
Potatoes themselves aren't villains
The problem seems to be how fries are cooked—frying adds unhealthy fats and chemicals.
Swapping out fries for whole grains actually lowered diabetes risk by nearly one-fifth.
Potatoes themselves aren't villains; when you eat them baked or boiled (and keep the skin), you get fiber and potassium that help with blood sugar and blood pressure.