Depending on what survey you read, each American consumes between 17 and 29 pounds of French fries a year — that's up to 77 large servings of McDonald's fries annually.
And that's contributing to the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and its associated complications, which affect around 35 million people in the United States.
Research published in BMJ reveals that for every three servings of fries eaten weekly, the risk of Type 2 diabetes goes up 20%. In contrast, replacing three servings of fries a week with whole grains cuts your risk for Type 2 diabetes by 12% to 20%.
What makes fries so ferociously bad for you?
It's a combination of the oil used and the way frying foods fuels inflammation. Palm oil, coconut oil, and of course tallow and lard, are high in saturated fats. And the high temperature frying of any oil (canola is often used for fries) can create harmful compounds such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that increase the risk of metabolic dysfunction (diabetes) and fuel obesity.
What about other ways of cooking potatoes?
The researchers, who looked at around 25 years' worth of data on more than 200,000 men and women who didn't have diabetes, observed that regularly eating baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes did not boost your risk.
Next time you are tempted to eat fries, consider a plain baked sweet or russet potato instead.
But skip the sour cream and butter. For flavor, try a drizzle of olive oil, some salsa, hot sauce, or sauteed onions and mushrooms.