Harvard discovers that chips greatly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But there is good news for potato lovers.
One fifth of million people were analyzed in a mega -study that concluded that when chips, potatoes significantly increase the risk of developing.
The investigation, conducted by researchers at Harvard University, accompanied people for up to 36 years within the scope of studies. Registered 22,299 cases of type 2 diabetes.
The data, according to, show that people who consumed chips five or more times a week had a 27% higher risk to develop the disease compared to those who rarely eat them. Each increase of three weekly doses was linked to a 20% increase at risk. But this risk stabilized at the maximum level of 27%.
However, there is good news: the consumption of baked, cooked or puree potatoes has not revealed increased risk of disease, after adjusting other food and lifestyle factors.
The study in BMJ magazine was the first to quantify the benefits of replacing potatoes with other sources of carbohydrates. Exchange for whole grains, for example, could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 19%.
The authors reinforce that Potatoes alone are not harmful: They contain fibers in the shell, important for blood glucose control, and are a source of potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. The problem is in fryingwhich adds trans fats, excess salt and compounds such as acrylamide, formed at high temperatures.
Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard, stresses that food guidelines should go beyond the general categories of food.
“The need to go beyond the wide categories of food and pay more attention to the way foods are prepared and what they replace. Not all carbohydrates – or even all potatoes – are equal, and this distinction is crucial when it comes to formulating effective dietary guidelines,” he explains.
