# French Fries, Not Potatoes, Drive Diabetes Risk: 40-Year Study of 205,000 People Finds 20% Higher Odds

*2026-06-05 02:01 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> A 40-year study of 205,000 people found eating fries three times a week raises type 2 diabetes risk 20%, while baked, boiled or mashed potatoes do not.

Eating French fries three times a week is linked to a 20% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a major new study published in The BMJ. Researchers tracked more than 205,000 US health professionals for nearly four decades (1984-2021) and recorded 22,299 new diabetes cases. Crucially, baked, boiled or mashed potatoes showed no significant increase in risk.

The cooking method, not the potato itself, appears to be the culprit. Three weekly servings of potatoes overall raised risk by just 5%, with fries accounting for almost the entire signal. Swapping potatoes for whole grains lowered diabetes risk by about 8%, while replacing them with white rice pushed risk higher.

"Our findings underscore that the association between potato intake and type 2 diabetes risk depends on the specific foods used as replacement," the authors wrote, suggesting the public-health message is less about avoiding potatoes and more about how they are prepared and what they replace.

## Sources

- [sciencedaily.com](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260603015218.htm)
- [bmjgroup.com](https://bmjgroup.com/three-weekly-servings-of-french-fries-linked-to-higher-diabetes-risk/)
- [healthline.com](https://www.healthline.com/health-news/french-fries-ultra-processed-foods-diabetes-risk)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1774-french-fries-not-potatoes-drive-diabetes-risk-40-year-study-of-205-000-people
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/1847-za-rizikem-cukrovky-stoji-hranolky-ne-brambory-40leta-studie-na-205-000-lidech