Harvard researchers report that greater consumption of potatoes can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but replacing potatoes with whole grains can lower the risk.
The study, published in Diabetes Care, was conducted by a research team led by Qi Sun, MD, ScD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Sun and colleagues analysed data from male and female health professionals in the United States who didn't have diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease.
These findings existed even after adjustment for confounding factors such as diet, demographic, lifestyle and BMI.
Eating seven servings of potatoes per week led to the highest risk of type 2 diabetes, while each additional three servings per week also increased the risk. However, replacing three or more servings per week with the same amount of whole grains reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Whole grains included dark bread, whole-grain breakfast cereal, popcorn, cooked oatmeal, wheat germ, brown rice, bran, and other grains.
Limiting potato intake is also useful if you have type 2 diabetes, as potatoes contain a significant amount of carbohydrate. A low-carb diet can have benefits such as improved blood glucose control and weight loss for people with type 2 diabetes.
