Study Says Spuds Don’t Increase Cardiometabolic Disease Risk

Researchers at Boston University studied the impact of potato consumption on cardiometabolic disease risk, looking at three key cardiometabolic outcomes: hypertension, type 2 diabetes or impaired fasting glucose, and elevated triglycerides. Overall, higher potato intake was not associated with increased risk of any of the three outcomes examined. Furthermore, when combined with higher levels of physical activity, greater consumption of fried potatoes was associated with a 24 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes or impaired fasting glucose, and in combination with lower red meat consumption, higher fried potato intake was associated with a 26 percent lower risk of elevated triglycerides. The study is published in the Journal of Nutritional Science.