Potatoes are one of the world’s favorite foods. People eat them in all kinds of ways—boiled, mashed, baked, or fried.
But for years, some studies have warned that eating a lot of potatoes might be bad for your health. These older studies linked potato eating to weight gain and high blood pressure.
However, those earlier reports didn’t always take into account how the potatoes were cooked or what other foods were eaten with them. Boiling a potato is not the same as deep-frying it in oil. That difference matters.
To get a clearer picture, researchers from Imperial College London looked deeper into the topic. They studied the diets and health of 2,696 adults between the ages of 40 and 59. These people came from both the United States and the United Kingdom and were part of a larger health research project called INTERMAP.
The scientists recorded what kinds of potatoes people ate, how often they ate them, and what the rest of their diet looked like. They wanted to see if certain types of potato dishes were linked to higher blood pressure or more body fat.
Here’s what they discovered: Eating potatoes that were boiled, mashed, or baked—and especially when included in healthy meals—did not lead to higher blood pressure or weight gain. In fact, when cooked this way, potatoes didn’t seem to cause any harm at all.
But the story changed when it came to fried potatoes. In American women, eating more fried potatoes was linked to slightly higher blood pressure and a higher body mass index (BMI), which is used to measure body fat. Interestingly, this effect was not seen in men.
The study also found that when fried potatoes were eaten along with unhealthy meals—meals that were high in fat, salt, or sugar—the risks were higher. However, when fried potatoes were part of a healthier meal, the negative effects were smaller or even not present.
This means the real issue might not just be fried potatoes themselves, but what kind of meals they’re part of. It shows that how we cook and combine our food can make a big difference to our health.
If you’re worried about your blood pressure, there are other helpful tips too. Some studies suggest that vitamin C and certain herbal supplements may help lower blood pressure. Cutting back on added sugar and eating more fresh, healthy foods can also improve heart health.
Another growing area of research is probiotics—good bacteria found in foods like yogurt. They may help reduce blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
This potato study was led by researcher Ghadeer S Aljuraiban and her team. It was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. Their work is a good reminder that not all potatoes are the same. It’s not just about what you eat, but also how you prepare and enjoy it that matters.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about This alcohol treatment could help treat high blood pressure and How blood pressure changes with age.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies about Intensive blood pressure treatment for older adults may harm heart and kidneys and What you should know about high blood pressure medications.
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