No doubt, fried potatoes are one of the tastiest foods that most people love to eat. Still, some people are unaware of the fact that fried potatoes might not be good for their health. And, a study pointed out the dangers of eating their favorite food. Are fried potatoes healthy?
If you are eating a lot of fries regularly, there might be consequences both in the short and long term. But in the latter case, one downfall stands out. According to a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming fried potatoes twice a week could lead to early death compared to people who avoid them.
Are fried potatoes bad?
Consuming fried potatoes increase the risk of early death to a great extent according to a report by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers were able to extract the data after analyzing the lifestyle of about 4400 people aged between 45 and 79.
The research ran for about eight years and the results were not good. It was discovered that people who consumed a lot of fried potatoes in the form of French Fries, potato chips, and hash browns more than twice a week have chances of early death when compared to people who don’t eat fried potatoes.
Consumption of fried potatoes is increasing worldwide and there is no denying that. From children to old people, everyone loves to have this amazing snack. In another report, it was found that in 2014 about 112.1 pounds of potatoes were consumed by each person living in the US.
However, the interesting part is that 33.5 pounds constitute fresh potatoes, whereas 78.5 pounds included processed potatoes. And, the majority of the processed potatoes are nothing but French Fries that Americans love to eat. It’s another report from the US Department of Agriculture.
Relationship between fried potatoes and trans-fat
As said, a team of researchers has been tracking the lifestyle of about 4400 people over eight years so that they can study osteoarthritis. What’s interesting is that this team set aside their main research and started looking at the volunteers’ consumption of potatoes instead.
Even though the report said that fried potatoes are potentially unhealthy, there are very limited data on the issue. Over the eight years, 236 volunteers died. Analyzing their death, the team was able to find out that people who consumed fried potatoes 2 to 3 times a week increased their chances of dying early by twice compared to those who didn’t eat fried potatoes.
However, the study doesn’t provide a direct link between early death and eating fried potatoes. But many experts believe that the culprit should be the cooking oil, which is always rich in trans-fat content. And, it is an important factor that explains the mortality rate in people who eat more fried potatoes.
When it comes to boosting the impact of bad cholesterol in the blood, trans-fat plays an important role. Trans-fat is responsible for increasing bad cholesterol in the blood and might lead to certain cardiovascular diseases. Besides, other important factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, using higher quantities of salt, and obesity might play a crucial role in early death.
In general, potatoes are healthy vegetables that don’t contain sodium, cholesterol, or fat and provide about one-third requirement of Vitamin C alongside potassium compared to a banana. But how the potato is prepared will impact the sodium, fat, and calorie content.
Fried potatoes nutritional facts
If we take a look into the nutritional profiles of some of the most known french fries or fry potatoes in several food chains, we could find out:
| Nutrition facts | Chick-Fil-A – Waffle Potato Fries (Small) | Wendy’s – Small French Fries | Ore-IdaGolden Crinkles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Units | 1 serving (96g) | 1 serving | 12 pieces (84g) |
| Calories | 320 | 260 | 100 |
| Total Fat | 19g | 12g | 4.5g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0mg | 0mg |
| Sodium | 190mg | 470mg | 290mg |
| Carbohydrates | 35g | 35g | 14g |
| Protein | 4g | 4g | 2g |
| Vitamin A | 0mcg | 0mcg | 0mcg |
| Sugars | 1g | 0g | 0.5g |
| Calcium | 20mg | 0mg | 0mg |
| Iron | 0.7mg | 1.1mg | 0.6mg |
Side effects of eating fried potatoes
Despite all the facts, if you are not convinced enough to reduce your intake of fried potatoes, here are some side effects that you should know.
Your immune system could feel the heat
Eating a lot of fried potatoes can have an impact on your immune system and a similar study was published in a journal. According to the study, eating a greasy and high-fat diet could damage your gut microbiome by boosting unhealthy bacteria. Also, it diminishes your body’s healthier bacteria significantly.
Keep in mind that consuming lots of fried potatoes is considered a greasy, high-fat diet. The gut’s role is to make your immune system healthy. However, fried potatoes might expose your body to disease and sickness.
It might have an impact on your brain
Because they are deep-fried in oils, fried potatoes come packed with a lot of trans-fat, which is responsible for increasing bad cholesterol. Also, it lowers the percentage of good cholesterol and causes a considerable amount of damage to the body. The direct result is that the chances of heart disease will rise.
In another study, it was revealed that people with the highest levels of trans-fat in their bloodstream were 75% more likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the reason why French Fries are not considered among foods that are good for your brain.
Your stomach will start to hurt badly
There is no denying that the human body takes more time to digest fats compared to proteins and carbs. Furthermore, if the food contains a lot of calories because of how they are cooked, it’s a good bet that it will sit in your stomach for a long time.
Because of that, the chances of having stomach pains are greater. And, the same has been published in a journal some time back. Apart from that, other related adverse effects that are a direct result of bad digestion of fried foods include cramping, bloating, diarrhea, and nausea.
The risk of stroke and heart disease will increase
A study was conducted on around 150,000 military veterans by several researchers at the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center and Department of Veterans Affairs, US.
The report indicated that people who ate fried foods three or more times a week had a 7% greater risk of experiencing a stroke and heart attack. Moreover, if the participants consumed fried foods every day, the risk will double to 15%.
You will gain a lot of weight
Food becomes calorie bobs when fried in fat. A study that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show sufficient evidence that there is a relation between your waistline and fried foods, especially fried potatoes. In many cases, it was directly linked to obesity.