Potatoes are one of the world’s most popular foods. People enjoy them in many different ways, including baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, potato chips, and French fries. They are affordable, filling, and used in meals across many cultures.
For years, scientists have debated whether potatoes are healthy or harmful. Some studies have suggested that eating large amounts of potatoes may be linked to obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
However, many researchers believed the issue might be more complicated than potatoes alone. They suspected that cooking methods and the overall quality of meals could make a big difference.
A recent study from researchers at Imperial College London explored this question in more detail. The scientists wanted to understand whether different types of potato dishes affected blood pressure and body weight differently.
Their findings suggest that the way potatoes are prepared may matter more than potatoes themselves.
The research used data from nearly 2,700 adults aged between 40 and 59 years old living in the United States and the United Kingdom. The information came from a large international project called INTERMAP, a study designed to examine how nutrients and eating habits influence blood pressure.
The researchers carefully collected information about how often people ate potatoes and what forms they ate them in. This included boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, fried potatoes, French fries, and potato chips.
The scientists also looked at the rest of participants’ diets. This allowed them to examine the overall quality of meals rather than focusing only on potatoes.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a major health concern around the world. It increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other serious medical problems. Many people develop high blood pressure slowly over time without obvious symptoms, which is why it is sometimes called a “silent killer.”
Because diet strongly influences blood pressure, understanding how common foods affect health is very important.
The study found that eating boiled, mashed, or baked potatoes was not linked to higher blood pressure or increased body weight. This suggests that potatoes prepared in these simpler ways may not be harmful when eaten as part of a balanced diet.
However, the results were different for fried potatoes.
In women living in the United States, higher consumption of fried potatoes was linked to slightly higher blood pressure levels.
The researchers found that systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, was about 2.3 points higher among women who ate more fried potatoes. Diastolic blood pressure, the lower number, was about 1.1 points higher.
These women also tended to have higher Body Mass Index, or BMI, which is commonly used to estimate body fat based on weight and height.
Interestingly, this relationship was not observed in men, nor was it clearly seen in participants from the United Kingdom.
The researchers believe several factors may explain these differences. Cooking methods, portion sizes, oils used for frying, and overall meal patterns can vary significantly between countries and between men and women.
Another important finding involved meal quality.
The scientists discovered that fried potatoes seemed more harmful when eaten as part of nutrient-poor meals. For example, meals low in vegetables, fiber, healthy fats, and other important nutrients showed a stronger connection between fried potatoes and high blood pressure.
On the other hand, when fried potatoes were eaten as part of healthier meals containing more nutrients, the negative effect appeared weaker.
This suggests that food combinations may influence health more than single foods alone.
Fried potatoes are often served alongside processed foods high in salt, unhealthy fats, and calories. Fast-food meals may also contain sugary drinks and low amounts of fiber. These overall eating patterns could contribute to higher blood pressure and weight gain.
The frying process itself may also play a role. Frying potatoes increases their calorie and fat content. Depending on the oil used and cooking temperature, frying can produce compounds that may negatively affect blood vessels and inflammation.
At the same time, potatoes themselves contain nutrients that can support health. Potatoes provide potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and other important nutrients. Potassium, in particular, may help regulate blood pressure by balancing sodium levels in the body.
This is one reason why researchers say potatoes should not automatically be viewed as unhealthy foods.
The study does not mean people must completely avoid French fries or potato chips. Instead, it suggests moderation and overall meal quality are important.
Eating fried potatoes occasionally is unlikely to cause major health problems for most people. However, regularly eating fried foods as part of low-quality diets may increase health risks over time.
The researchers emphasized that more studies are needed to better understand why the associations were stronger among women in the United States and not seen in all groups.
Future research may also examine how different oils, cooking methods, and cultural eating habits influence the relationship between potatoes and blood pressure.
The findings add to growing evidence that how food is prepared may sometimes matter as much as the food itself.
Healthy eating is not usually about avoiding one single food completely. Instead, long-term health often depends on balance, variety, moderation, and overall dietary patterns.
The research was led by Ghadeer S. Aljuraiban and published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.
Copyright © 2026 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
