Have you ever wondered if eating lots of potatoes could affect your health? Some people have thought that eating a lot of potatoes might lead to higher blood pressure and even obesity.
But, many studies didn’t really think about how the potatoes were cooked or what else was eaten with them.
A new study from Imperial College London decided to dig deeper into this potato mystery. They wanted to find out if the way potatoes are cooked could change their impact on blood pressure and body weight.
To do this, they gathered information from 2,696 people aged 40-59 in the US and the UK. This information was part of a big study called the International Study of Macro- and Micro-Nutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP).
The researchers looked at how many potatoes people ate, how they were prepared, and what other foods were eaten with them.
They wanted to see if there was any connection between potatoes, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat.
Interestingly, they found that eating potatoes in general – whether they were boiled, mashed, baked, or part of a mixed dish – didn’t really affect people’s blood pressure or BMI. This was a bit of a surprise!
But, when they looked at fried potatoes, especially in women in the US, things changed. Women who ate more fried potatoes had slightly higher blood pressure.
And, not only that, but eating more fried potatoes was also linked to an increase in BMI in these women. Strangely, this wasn’t the case for men.
The study also noticed that meals with fried potatoes that were low in nutrients were the ones linked to higher blood pressure in US women. However, if the fried potato meals were nutritious, they didn’t seem to affect blood pressure.
So, what does this mean? It looks like fried potatoes might be related to higher blood pressure and BMI, but only in certain cases. Non-fried potatoes don’t seem to have the same effect.
Also, it seems that the nutritional quality of the meal matters a lot when it comes to fried potatoes.
If you’re concerned about blood pressure, it might be worth considering not just what you eat, but how it’s cooked and what you eat it with.
This study, published in Clinical Nutrition and conducted by Ghadeer S Aljuraiban and others, sheds new light on the humble potato and its impact on our health.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
