Potatoes are one of the most popular foods in the world. People consume them in many different ways—boiled, mashed, baked, or fried.

However, in the past, some studies suggested that consuming large amounts of potatoes could be harmful to health. They linked eating potatoes to high blood pressure and weight gain.

However, these studies did not consider how the potatoes were prepared or what other foods were on the menu. And the way they are prepared matters — a boiled potato is very different from a fried one.

Researchers at Imperial College London decided to look into this issue in more detail. They studied how eating different types of potatoes can affect blood pressure and body weight. They focused on 2,696 adults aged between 40 and 59 from the United States and the United Kingdom, all of whom were part of a larger international health study called INTERMAP.

The scientists looked at what types of potatoes people ate and how often they consumed them. They also studied their overall diet to see how healthy their eating habits were in general.

They found that eating boiled, mashed, baked potatoes, or potatoes included in combination with other healthy foods does not appear to raise blood pressure or body fat. This is good news for potato lovers.

However, the situation is different with French fries. In American women, frequent consumption of French fries is associated with slightly elevated blood pressure and a higher body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat. These effects were not observed in men.

The study also found that when French fries are consumed as part of an unhealthy diet—for example, one high in fat, salt, or sugar—they are more often associated with high blood pressure in women. However, when French fries are part of a healthier diet, the effects are smaller or not observed at all.

This means that the problem may not be French fries alone, but the overall quality of the food they are combined with. This also proves that the way we prepare and consume our food is of great importance.

The study was conducted by Gadir S. Aljuraban and her team, and the results were published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. It reminds us that not all potatoes are the same in terms of our health. Not only what we eat, but also how we cook and combine our food can affect our bodies. | BGNES