French Fries: Delicious, But Maybe Out to Get You

We all know French fries are basically the Beyoncé of side dishes—crispy, golden, and universally adored. But apparently, those salty sticks of joy might be sneaking behind our backs and raising our chances of type 2 diabetes. Betrayal never tasted so good.

Researchers tracked more than 205,000 people over three decades (yes, that’s commitment) and found that just three servings of fries a week can jack up your diabetes risk by about 20%. Meanwhile, baked or mashed potatoes didn’t seem to cause the same drama. So apparently it’s not the potato’s fault—it’s the deep fryer.

RELATED: Harvard Professor Suggests Only Eating This Many French Fries Per Serving!

The Great Potato Swap

Before you cry into your poutine, there’s hope. Scientists discovered that if you swap potatoes for whole grains, your risk of type 2 diabetes can drop by 4%. Replace fries specifically with whole grains?

You slash that risk by 19%. Even trading them for refined grains like white bread made a slight improvement—though let’s be honest, eating a sandwich instead of fries is like replacing a Timbit with a plain rice cake. Technically healthier, but who’s excited about it?

Potatoes Still Have a Good Side

It’s not all bad news for the humble spud. Potatoes are full of antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acids—big fancy words that basically mean they fight off the bad guys like cancer and heart disease. And that “evil starch” you’ve been warned about? Some of it is resistant starch, which feeds your gut’s good bacteria and helps control blood sugar.

Oh, and in 2022, Polish researchers found that glycoalkaloids (naturally hanging out in potatoes, peppers, and even goji berries) might have cancer-fighting powers. So yeah, your baked potato could be quietly saving lives while your French fries are plotting chaos.

The Takeaway

You don’t have to ghost potatoes entirely—just maybe keep fries in the “occasional treat” category instead of a full-on food group. Think of it as portion control with a side of survival.

Because let’s be real: if you’re Canadian, you’re not giving up spuds completely. But maybe once in a while, swap the fries for a side of barley… and save your fry quota for when you’re standing in line at Harvey’s. 🍟🇨🇦