playlist=\u201dW5xXwQyA\u201d playlisttype=\u201ddynamic\u201d placement=\u201dtrue\u201d jwpropertyid=\u201dXDErnc08\u2033 \/]<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve got some good news and some bad news.<\/p>\n
The bad news is that a new study out of Harvard has established a link between eating potatoes and an increased risk of developing diabetes.<\/p>\n
But the good news is not all potatoes are equal: There are plenty of spuds you can keep on your plate, but one preparation has a clear downside.<\/p>\n
A new study out of Harvard has established a link between eating potatoes and an increased risk of developing diabetes \u2014but the good news is not all potatoes are equal. Proxima Studio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re shifting the conversation from, \u2018Are potatoes good or bad?\u2019 to a more nuanced \u2014 and useful \u2014 question: How are they prepared, and what might we eat instead?\u201d said lead author<\/a> Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition.<\/p>\n The researchers followed over 205,000 people for more than 30 years, taking a close look a their diets.<\/p>\n They found that eating three servings of French fries a week spiked diabetes chances by 20% \u2014 but other types of potatoes, including baked and mashed, did not.<\/p>\n That being said, they also found that replacing any type of potato with whole grain foods can lower your type 2 diabetes risk by 4%.<\/p>\n And swapping fries with whole grains? That will cut your risk by 19%, while even replacing them with refined grains like white bread made a positive difference.<\/p>\n \u201cThe public health message here is simple and powerful: Small changes in our daily diet can have an important impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes,\u201d said corresponding author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition.<\/p>\n \u201cLimiting potatoes \u2014 especially limiting French fries \u2014 and choosing healthy, whole-grain sources of carbohydrate could help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes across the population.\u201d<\/p>\n They found that eating three servings of French fries a week spiked their diabetes chances by 20%. fahrwasser \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n This is the second study<\/a> in the past year that\u2019s looked at the relationship between potatoes and diabetes. The last one, out of Australia, found that people who ate the most potatoes had a 9% higher diabetes risk compared to those who ate the fewest taters.<\/p>\n And their findings determined boiled potatoes to be the best option.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we separated boiled potatoes from mashed potatoes, fries or [chips], boiled potatoes were no longer associated with a higher risk of diabetes. They had a null effect,\u201d said Dr. Nicola Bondonno from Edith Cowan University\u2019s Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, which conducted the research.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only fries and mashed potatoes [that increase risk], the latter likely because [they\u2019re] usually made with butter, cream and the like.\u201d<\/p>\n Picking healthier potato recipes seems to be the key \u2014 especially since potatoes actually have plenty of health benefits.<\/p>\n Other types of potatoes, including baked and mashed, did not increase diabetes risk. A previous study found boiled potatoes, in particular, had no effect on diabetes. Valentina Rychkova \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n They have lots of antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, which can help fight things like cancer and heart disease.<\/p>\n And while starch gets a bad name, potatoes have resistant starch, which feed your gut nutrients and good bacteria. That\u2019s great for digestive health and controlling blood sugar.<\/p>\n