Here's why you shouldn't freak out about that study suggesting french fries increase risk of death
Alright, french fry lovers, you might have heard that apparently, the amount of times per week you eat fried potatoes could increase your risk of death.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who eat fried potatoes two or more times a week “were at an increased risk of mortality.”
But the results of this one study aren't as scary or dire as they sound.
The 4,400 members of the study (aged 45 to 79) were divided into groups based on how often they ate fried potatoes per week. The study ran over the course of eight years and during that time, 236 of the participants died. Researchers helmed by lead author Nicola Veronese determined, "those who ate fried potatoes two to three times per week were twice as likely to die early compared to those who didn't eat fried potatoes."
However, noted nutrition, food studies and public health professor at New York University Marion Nestle says you don't need to bemoan your last Sunday Funday fry-fest just yet.
She tells the Chicago Tribune, ""First, this is an association [...] Fried potatoes are associated with somewhat higher mortality, but this does not mean that they cause death. People who eat a lot of fried potatoes might have other unhealthy lifestyle practices [...]Second, the association is not strictly dose-related. At lower levels of intake, the association is not statistically significant."
Adding to the good news, eating unfried potatoes didn't impact health negatively and Time says, "more research with larger groups of people is needed to investigate the link before saying that overeating fries causes an increased risk of death."
You mean fried potatoes aren't a health food? This isn't exactly groundbreaking news. Everything in moderation, after all. But that didn't stop people from having a field day about the new info on social media.
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Topics Health
Sarah Spigelman Richter is a contributor to Mashable's Food channel. Sarah covers everything edible, from the food industry to D.I.Y. recipes. She was previously the community manager for Tastemade NYC and her writing has been seen on The Today Show's food blog, Refinery 29, the Food Network, and Gothamist. She has also developed recipes for Tabasco and other nationally recognized brands and has blogged for 5 years at "Fritos and Foie Gras." Sarah is obsessed with "Orphan Black" and chili-cheese Fritos and is still depressed that Loehmann's closed.
