Potatoes are eaten in countless forms, from baked potatoes at dinner to fries served with fast food. Because they contain a lot of starch, they are sometimes blamed for weight gain and high blood pressure.
New research suggests the picture is more complicated and that how potatoes are cooked may matter more than potatoes themselves.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Body weight can also influence cardiovascular health, although weight is only one part of a person’s overall health. Researchers have therefore spent years studying whether common foods such as potatoes contribute to these risks.
Some earlier studies reported links between eating more potatoes and having higher blood pressure or gaining weight. However, a boiled potato eaten with vegetables and fish is very different from french fries eaten with a salty, highly processed meal. Treating all potato dishes as the same food can hide these differences.
Researchers from Imperial College London set out to examine the issue more closely. They studied 2,696 adults between 40 and 59 years old from the United States and the United Kingdom. The participants were part of the International Study of Macro- and Micro-Nutrients and Blood Pressure, known as INTERMAP.
INTERMAP was designed to investigate connections between diet and blood pressure. For the potato analysis, the researchers looked at how much people ate and separated potatoes according to preparation method. These included boiled, mashed, baked and fried potatoes, as well as potatoes eaten as part of mixed dishes.
The team also considered the overall quality of participants’ diets. This matters because people rarely eat one food in isolation. A potato may be served with vegetables and lean protein, or it may come with processed meat, sugary drinks and large amounts of salt.
The results offered some reassurance for potato lovers. Eating non-fried potatoes was not associated with higher blood pressure or a higher body mass index, or BMI. This was true for potatoes that were boiled, mashed, baked or included in mixed dishes.
BMI is a simple measure calculated from a person’s height and weight. It cannot directly measure body fat or overall health, but it is widely used in population research to compare weight patterns. In this study, ordinary non-fried potato consumption did not appear to be linked to a higher BMI.
Fried potatoes showed a different pattern, particularly among women in the United States. Women who ate more fried potatoes tended to have slightly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. They also tended to have a higher BMI.
Systolic pressure is the first number in a blood pressure reading and measures pressure when the heart contracts. Diastolic pressure is the second number and measures pressure while the heart relaxes between beats. Even modest increases can matter when they continue over many years.
Interestingly, the same relationship with fried potatoes was not clearly seen in men. The study cannot explain why the pattern differed between men and women. Differences in eating habits, portion sizes, other foods or biological factors could potentially play a role.
The wider meal also appeared to matter. Among US women, fried potatoes were more strongly associated with higher blood pressure when they were eaten as part of meals with poorer overall nutritional quality. When fried potatoes appeared in healthier meals, the association with higher blood pressure was no longer evident.
There are several possible explanations. Frying can add substantial calories and fat, while restaurant or fast-food fries may also contain large amounts of salt. Fried potatoes may also be a marker for a broader eating pattern that includes more processed foods and fewer vegetables, fruits and other nutrient-rich foods.
This is why the findings do not prove that fried potatoes themselves directly raise blood pressure or cause weight gain. The study was observational, meaning researchers looked for patterns in what people ate and their health measurements. Other lifestyle and dietary differences may help explain the associations.
The research was led by Ghadeer S. Aljuraiban and colleagues and was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. Its findings challenge the idea that potatoes should automatically be classified as unhealthy. Instead, preparation method and the foods surrounding the potato may be important.
The study has useful strengths, including detailed dietary information and participants from both the United States and United Kingdom. Separating fried from non-fried potatoes also provides more practical information than simply counting total potato intake.
Still, the number of people and the observational design mean the results need confirmation in other populations.
For people concerned about blood pressure or weight, the findings support focusing on the overall eating pattern rather than fearing one basic food.
Boiled or baked potatoes can provide potassium, vitamin C and other nutrients, especially when prepared without large amounts of salt or added fat. Pairing them with vegetables, beans, fish or other nutritious foods can create a balanced meal.
The study’s broader lesson may be more important than the potato question itself. The health effects associated with a food can change depending on how it is prepared and what is eaten alongside it.
Instead of asking whether potatoes are simply “good” or “bad,” it may be more useful to ask what kind of potato dish is being eaten and what the rest of the meal looks like.
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