Potato lovers may have higher diabetes risk

Those with the highest potato intake have a modestly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The link is strongest among obese women, who are already at increased risk of the disease, suggesting that heavy potato consumption may pose a particular problem for them. Though potatoes have healthful attributes, they also have a high glycemic index (GI) - meaning they cause a rapid, strong rise in blood sugar. Over time, these surges may damage the pancreatic cells that produce the hormone insulin, which is needed to metabolise blood sugar. Overweight or sedentary adults may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of high-GI foods because they often have underlying insulin resistance - a precursor to diabetes in which body cells lose their sensitivity to insulin. So it would make sense for these individuals to stay away french fries. Researchers from the Harvard University, USA, did a long term study of nearly 85,000 women and found that women with the highest potato intake were 14 percent more likely than those with the lowest intake to develop diabetes over 20 years. Women, who ate the most french fries, specifically, had a 21 percent greater risk of diabetes than those who ate the fewest. Overall diet and other lifestyle habits did not explain the link, and potatoes seemed to be more problematic when a woman ate them instead of whole grains. Whole grains - as well as many high-fiber vegetables, fruits and legumes have a lower GI than potatoes and white-flour products. So eating those foods in place of potatoes could potentially cut diabetes risk.