An international team led by a Harvard University public health expert has discovered a concerning link between regularly eating chips and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to a report in The Guardian, Seyed Mohammad Mousavi’s study analyzed food questionnaires from 205,000 US health professionals, collected every four years between 1984 and 2021. The research aimed to investigate the connection between potato consumption and the disease.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that consuming chips three times a week was associated with a 20% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Eating them five times a week raised the risk by 27%. In contrast, having baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes with the same frequency increased the risk by only 5%.
Researchers emphasized that potatoes themselves are not the primary health threat. The danger lies in the process of frying them to make chips, which often involves added fat, salt, and larger portion sizes. This cooking method is what’s linked to a greater likelihood of a diabetes diagnosis.
The study noted that “the high starch content of potatoes… combined with possible loss of nutrients and possible health risks resulting from various cooking methods, could contribute to adverse health outcomes.”
The findings also showed that substituting potatoes with whole grains reduced the risk of diabetes by 8%, while swapping out chips for grains lowered the risk by a notable 19%. However, replacing potatoes with white rice actually increased the risk.
Dr. Kawther Hashem, a public health nutrition lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, explained, “Potatoes can be part of a healthy diet, but it’s how we prepare them that makes the difference.” She added that while boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes are healthy, deep-frying them into chips “makes them less healthy with their high-fat, salt, and calorie content that’s much more likely to contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.”
Globally, potatoes are the third most consumed food crop after rice and wheat. In the UK, nine out of ten of the estimated 5.8 million people with diabetes have the type 2 form, which is closely tied to lifestyle and diet.
The researchers were careful to note that their findings were observational and do not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care both declined to comment on the study.
