Which is best for your blood sugar?

Good news, potato lovers: Research shows that while regular consumption of French fries increases blood sugar and the risk of type 2 diabetes, eating potatoes in other forms, such as mashed, baked or boiled, has no effect.

The study, published in The BMJ in August also found that replacing any form of potato with whole grains could reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Diet plays a major role in the development and management of type 2 and potatoes have long had a reputation for being bad for blood sugar levels. Because they are high in carbohydrates and have a high glycemic index (that is, how quickly they raise blood sugar), many people with type 2 diabetes avoid them. But the existing research supporting this rationale is flawed.

“One of the main problems was that many of these studies did not look at how the potatoes were prepared — like fried or boiled — or what people ate instead,” said study author Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University. Health.

His team wanted to examine the link between potato consumption and diabetes risk in a more nuanced way. Using data from three ongoing research programs, researchers followed more than 200,000 healthcare professionals for 36 years, regularly collecting detailed information on their diets and lifestyles. Dietary questionnaires showed how often they consumed fried, baked, boiled or mashed potatoes. It also tracked their whole grain intake.

By comparing this data with the number of new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes, researchers determined that three servings per week of fries increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 20%. In contrast, baked, boiled and mashed potatoes were not significantly associated with high risk.

In the meantime, replace potatoes with whole grains had an even more positive result. It is estimated that replacing three weekly servings of total potatoes with whole grains like whole wheat pasta, bread or farro reduce the rate of type 2 diabetes by 8%. Swapping portions of fries for whole grains reduced the rate by 19%.

When it comes to the health of potatoes, the the cooking method can have a big influence.

“The nutritional composition of foods can change during preparation and cooking,” said Alyssa Tindall, RD, PhD, assistant professor of health sciences at Ursinus College. Health. “For example, frying foods, such as using potatoes to make French fries, increases the fat content of foods, which can impact digestion, absorption and disease risk.”

According to Mousavi, the oils and temperatures used for frying are the main culprits. “French fries are typically fried at very high temperatures, often in oils that, during much of our study period, contained trans fats and produced other harmful compounds,” he said.

Cooking oils at extremely high temperatures can create oxidation, a driver of inflammation that can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

On the other hand, cooking methods like baking, boiling, and mashing generally don’t add these elements. For this reason, and given their beneficial nutrients like fiber and potassium, non-fried potatoes may actually improve the diet quality of people with type 2 diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Association says potatoes can be part of a diabetes-friendly eating plan.

Besides keeping fries to a minimum, many other dietary strategies can help prevent type 2 diabetes. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, best practices include:

• Eat small portions of foods high in calories, fat and sugar.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks and fruit juice.
• Choose foods with less trans fat, saturated fat and added sugars.
• Make healthy swaps when possible (replacing a baked potato with fries is a good example).

Done consistently, these and other simple choices help reduce risk. “You don’t have to give up your favorite foods, but small changes, like eating French fries less often, baking instead of frying, and choosing whole grains as your primary carbohydrate source, can make a real difference to your long-term health,” Mousavi said.