A New Study Links Fried Potatoes and Early Death

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has some bad news about French fries. A recent study by the National Research Council in Padova, Italy, found a possible link between fried potatoes and early death. According to the study, people who eat fried potatoes, such as French fries, hash browns or potato chips two or more times per week are more than twice as likely to die early compared to their potato-avoiding peers.

Researchers hypothesize that the link between fried potatoes and early death comes from trans fats used to prepare them. Trans fats increase LDL, or “bad” cholesterol and decrease HDL, or “good” cholesterol. This, in turn, increases a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

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In addition, a chemical called acrylamide could cause health problems in people who eat too many fried potatoes. The chemical compound forms when starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures (usually during the frying, roasting or baking process). As the starchy food browns, acrylamide levels increase. Some animal studies link acrylamide to cancer. So, in theory, the higher a person’s exposure is to the chemical, the higher their cancer risk may be.

Observational Study Not Proof

But before you throw out your weekly breakfast of hash browns and eggs, remember that this study was small and observational. Researchers only found a correlation between fried potatoes and early death. They didn’t consider other factors that may have led to these deaths. They simply looked at the behavior patterns of their participants and noted any similarities in the people who died. Fried potatoes were just one similarity that many of them shared.

A professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Susanna Larsson, told CNN that the link between fried potatoes and early death could be a sign of a larger health issue: a poor diet overall. People who eat fried potatoes more than twice per week could also be eating other unhealthy foods. The entire diet rather than just the potatoes may be to blame.

For instance, if someone eats hash browns twice per week but otherwise maintains a nutritious diet, they might not experience a higher risk of health problems such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular disease. To prove that point, Larsson recently conducted her own study. And she found no link between potato consumption and early death as a result of cardiovascular disease.

Obviously, the National Research Council needs to do more studies before putting the blame on fried potatoes for these early deaths. Other factors, including obesity, poor nutrition or lack of exercise may have also played a role. And while there may be a real link between fried potatoes and early death, there’s no definitive proof as yet.