Overview
- Three servings of French fries per week are associated with a roughly 20% increase in type 2 diabetes risk, while similar amounts of boiled, baked or mashed potatoes raise risk by only about 5%.
- Replacing three weekly servings of fries with whole‐grain products can reduce type 2 diabetes risk by up to 19%, according to co-author Walter Willett.
- The analysis draws on dietary and health data from more than 205,000 U.S. nurses and health professionals between 1984 and 2021, during which 22,299 participants developed type 2 diabetes.
- Researchers attribute the heightened risk of fries to their high glycemic index and the additional fats absorbed during frying.
- Experts note that the 2018 trans fat ban may have changed the health profile of fried potatoes and emphasize that minimally processed potatoes remain a sustainable choice when prepared with lower fat.