Evidence from a new study on potato consumption supports developing conclusions that eating too much may increase the risk for high blood pressure. Four or more servings of potatoes within a week—boiled, baked, mashed or fried—was linked to various levels of risk for hypertension.
Of the results, an 11 percent escalated risk was recorded for baked, boiled, or mashed and a 17 percent increase with fried preparation, compared to less than a single serving per month. To scientists’ surprise, potato chips didn’t seem to affect blood pressure, Harvard researchers confirm.
Lead researcher Dr. Lea Borgi, of the renal division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said,”We hope that our study continues the conversation about potatoes and the risk of hypertension and other diseases.” Yet a dietitian not part of the study insisted that it’s the condiments that are stacked on top of the starch, not the potato itself. “The poor potato’s reputation gets dinged again with this study,” said Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City.
Borgi and her team tracked over 187,000 men and women who participated in three large U.S. studies that carried out over 20 years. Within that timeframe, subjects filled out questionnaires about their diet. And the volunteers didn’t indicate hypertension at the study’s initiation.
Potatoes are known to have a higher glycemic index—a measure of how carbohydrates raise blood sugar—among other vegetables, which can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. Borgi said that this simple characteristic might explain the findings. She also upheld that the study didn’t necessarily prove that potatoes have a direct link to hypertension only that there’s an association.
Researchers advise replacing a serving of potatoes with a non-starchy vegetable, which could lower the risk. Because of their high potassium concentration, the U.S. government includes them in its healthy meals program researchers pointed out. “Our findings have potentially important public health ramifications, as they don’t support the health benefits of including potatoes in government food programs,” Borgi said. The study was originally published in the May 17th issue of the journal BMJ.
Nutritionist Heller said, however, that potatoes can still be incorporated into a healthy diet. “You can make mashed potatoes with olive oil, nonfat milk or soy milk and add mixed herbs and spices. I do not peel the potatoes and I mix in vegetables, such as sauteed spinach and garlic,” she said. Heller also added to be conscious of portion sizes. U.S. News reports.