By Harriet Mallinson | Published on June 16, 2017
Hold onto your hats food-lovers, new research has revealed that eating French fries could increase your risk of an early death.
The study revealed that people who eat fried potatoes – French fries, potato chips and hash browns – two or three times a week doubled their risk of premature mortality compared to those who didn’t.
It’s believed to be the cooking oil included in the frying process that’s to blame as it’s high in trans fats. These are very harmful for the heart and can lead to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as heart disease.
Potato lovers need not panic yet though as boiled and steamed spuds do not carry the same risk.
In the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 4,400 predominantly North American participants between 45 and 79-years-old were monitored over a period of eight years. There were around 58% women in the group.
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Researchers kept track of how often these people ate fried and unfried potatoes throughout the course of the investigation. Â The groups were classed as lowest consumers of fried potatoes and highest consumers of fried potatoes.
Over the course of the eight years, 236 participants passed away. Upon analysis, the risk of early mortality was highest among those who ate fried potatoes more than twice a week.
Other factors that would have contributed were being overweight or obese and lack of exercise, said lead researcher Dr. Nicola Veronese.
Potatoes on their own are in fact a very healthy vegetable. Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber and have one of the highest overall antioxidant activity among vegetables.
A medium sized spud has no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and contains only 110 calories, according to the National Potato Council. In comparison, a medium serving of McDonalds’ fries, contains 337 calories per portion and 17g of fat.
In short, it’s the way you cook and eat them that will makes potatoes either healthy or unhealthy.
If you’re cooking at home and fancy fries, maybe try baking them instead – rub olive oil, sea salt and pepper into the wedges before you put them in the oven. They’ll be fluffy inside and still have a crispy skin.
Or, if you’re out and about and want to play it safe, opt for boiled or steamed potatoes instead of fried.
Harriet is Editor of MACROS and perfectly capable of eating an entire log of goat’s cheese in one sitting.
