Boiled, Baked, or Fried? How You Prep Your Potatoes Might Increase Your Diabetes Threat

Excellent news, spuds lovers: New analysis discovered that, though frequently consuming French fries elevated the chance of sort 2 diabetes, consuming potatoes in different types—equivalent to mashed, baked, or boiled—didn’t have an effect on sort 2 diabetes threat.

The examine, printed in The BMJ, additionally revealed that changing any type of potatoes with entire grains might decrease the probability of growing the illness.

This analysis isn’t the primary to look at the consequences of potatoes on diabetes threat. “We did this examine as a result of earlier analysis on potatoes and kind 2 diabetes had combined outcomes—some research confirmed the next threat, others didn’t, and some even instructed potatoes may be protecting,” examine writer Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, PhD, a postdoctoral analysis fellow at Harvard College, informed Well being. 

“One large subject was that lots of these research didn’t take a look at how the potatoes had been ready—like fries versus boiled—or what folks had been consuming as an alternative,” he mentioned.

Blood sugar management isn’t any small concern for People. Based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, as of 2024, about 38 million folks within the U.S.—or one in 10—had diabetes, of which 90 to 95% had sort 2.

Weight loss plan performs a serious function within the growth and administration of sort 2—and potatoes have lengthy been dogged by a popularity for being unhealthy for blood sugar. As a result of they’re excessive in carbohydrates and have a excessive glycemic index (i.e., how rapidly they increase blood sugar), many individuals with sort 2 diabetes keep away from them.

As Mousavi famous, some earlier research have lumped all forms of potatoes collectively for his or her results on sort 2 diabetes. Outcomes from three potential cohort research in 2015, for instance, concluded that larger consumption of potatoes usually (however particularly French fries) was related to the next sort 2 diabetes threat. A 2018 examine had related outcomes, displaying a connection between potato consumption and threat—once more, extra so for French fries.

Researchers wished to take a extra nuanced take a look at the connection between potato consumption and diabetes threat. Utilizing information from three ongoing analysis packages, researchers adopted over 200,000 well being professionals for as much as 36 years, frequently gathering detailed details about their diets and life. Dietary questionnaires confirmed the frequency with which they consumed French-fried, baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes. It additionally tracked their consumption of entire grains.

By evaluating this information with the variety of new diagnoses of sort 2 diabetes, the researchers decided that three servings weekly of French fries elevated the chance of growing sort 2 diabetes by 20%. Baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes, then again, weren’t considerably related to an elevated threat.

In the meantime, swapping potatoes for entire grains had an much more constructive consequence. Changing three servings weekly of complete potatoes with entire grains like entire wheat pasta, bread, or farro was estimated to decrease the kind 2 diabetes charge by 8%. Exchanging servings of French fries for entire grains lowered the speed by 19%.

With regards to potatoes well being, the cooking technique can have an enormous affect. “The nutrient composition of meals can change throughout preparation and cooking,” Alyssa Tindall, RD, PhD, an assistant professor of well being sciences at Ursinus Faculty, informed Well being. “For instance, deep frying meals, equivalent to within the case of potatoes to make French fries, will increase the fats content material of the meals, which may influence digestion, absorption, and illness threat.”

Earlier analysis has proven that larger consumption of fried meals is considerably related to threat of each sort 2 diabetes and coronary artery illness.

Based on Mousavi, the oils and temperatures used for frying are main culprits right here. “French fries are normally deep-fried at very excessive temperatures, usually in oils that—throughout a lot of our examine interval—contained trans fat and produced different dangerous compounds,” he mentioned.

Cooking oils at extraordinarily excessive temperatures can create oxidation, a driver of irritation which will contribute to the event of sort 2 diabetes.

Then again, cooking strategies like baking, boiling, and mashing don’t normally add these parts. For that reason—and contemplating their helpful vitamins like fiber and potassium—non-fried potatoes may very well enhance food plan high quality in folks with sort 2 diabetes. In truth, the American Diabetes Affiliation says potatoes can match on a diabetes-friendly meal plan.

As for the advantages of swapping potatoes for entire grains, fiber explains quite a bit, Tindall informed Well being. “Entire grains are normally wealthy in fiber, which maintains more healthy blood glucose concentrations,” she mentioned. “Fiber slows the absorption of carbohydrates (glucose) into the blood, which helps higher glucose regulation.”

Moreover maintaining French fries to a minimal, a bunch of different dietary methods may also help stop sort 2 diabetes. Based on the Nationwide Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Illnesses, finest practices embody:

Consuming smaller parts of meals which can be excessive in energy, fats, and sugar.
Consuming water as an alternative of sweetened drinks like soda, sports activities drinks, and fruit juice.
Selecting meals with much less trans fats, saturated fats, and added sugars.
Making wholesome swaps the place attainable (subbing a baked potato for French fries is one good instance).

Made constantly, these and different easy decisions add as much as threat discount. “You don’t have to surrender your favourite meals, however small modifications—like consuming fries much less usually, baking as an alternative of frying, and selecting entire grains as your main supply of carb—could make an actual distinction on your long-term well being,” mentioned Mousavi.