Potatoes are notorious because their consumption has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity or diabetes, but this is due to the way they are cooked and not their nutritional characteristics. Low-carbohydrate diets, such as the keto or ketogenic diet, which have become fashionable to lose those extra kilos that accumulate due to bad habits, have further demonized the potato, which is a source of carbohydrates, and which if fried, it absorbs a large amount of oil and is very caloric.
New research has revealed that although potatoes may not have the same health benefits as other vegetables, the unhealthy effects attributed to them may actually be due to the way they are prepared (fried or added with butter). ) and other foods they accompany.
The results of the study – published in the journal Diabetes Care – have shown that people who eat boiled potatoes have a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who include very few vegetables in their daily diet. “When we separated boiled potatoes from mashed potatoes or French fries, boiled potatoes were no longer associated with increased risk of diabetes: they had no effect,” said Pratik Pokharel, a candidate at Edith Cowan University (ECU). and one of the study authors, in a news release.
“Replacing refined grains like white rice and pasta with potatoes can improve the quality of your diet due to the fiber and other nutrients found in potatoes”
“In previous studies, potatoes have been positively linked to the incidence of diabetes, regardless of how they are prepared, but we found that this is not true.” “In Denmark, people eat potatoes prepared in many different ways; In our study we were able to distinguish between the different preparation methods, ”he added in his official statement.
Boiled potatoes: source of fiber and quality carbohydrates
The study was conducted by Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia and analyzed data from 54,000 people who provided information on their dietary intake for a long-term research project called the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study. During a follow-up period of more than 16 years, 7,695 cases of type 2 diabetes were detected. The analysis also showed that participants who consumed fewer potatoes had a 9% increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Pokharel has claimed that people’s dietary patterns are the key: “In our study, people who ate the most potatoes also consumed more butter, red meat and soft drinks, foods known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.” “When you take that into account, boiled potatoes are no longer associated with diabetes. It’s just chips and mashed potatoes, the latter probably because it’s usually made with butter, cream and the like.”
According to Pokharel, the results of the study indicate that vegetables could play a fundamental role in the reduction of the cases of type 2 diabetes because they revealed that people who consumed a lot of green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower or lettuce had a significantly lower risk of developing this disease. “The finding that vegetables reduce the risk of diabetes is crucial to public health recommendations and we should not ignore it.”
“As for potatoes, we cannot say that they have a benefit in terms of type 2 diabetes, but they are not bad either if they are prepared in a healthy way,” he said. “We should separate potatoes and other vegetables from disease prevention messaging, but replacing refined grains like white rice and pasta with potatoes can improve the quality of your diet because of the fiber and other nutrients found in the potatoes.”
Pokharel concludes that people should be advised to increase their consumption of vegetables, which could include potatoes, as long as they are not accompanied by unhealthy foods such as butter, cream and oil. “People talk about carbs being bad, but it’s more about the type of carbs you eat; Compared to something like white rice, boiled potatoes are a good quality carbohydrate.” “Just be careful how you prepare them – don’t eat chips or mash with extras all the time. Just boil them and eat them like other vegetables.”
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