I know what you’re thinking: “Do I really need to read an article to know that French fries are bad for me?” Well, as much as it should seem obvious that something called a “French fry” might not be the most healthy snack on the planet, you probably didn’t think a few curly fries here and there could ultimately lead to your demise. But, according to a recent study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, your starchy habit could be your undoing. And by undoing we mean your untimely death. Is a handful of fries worth that? Well, maybe. When made well, there’s few better foods. Poutine, anyone? Heck yeah!
But, back to how bad pommes frites are for you. Researchers determined that they’re really, really bad. They uncovered this fact while studying whether or not potato consumption can be linked to an increase in “premature mortality” in North American participants. The study followed 4,440 participants between the ages of 45-79 for eight years. By the end of the eight years, 236 participants had passed away. This was an important statistic because the investigators used these deaths and the participants’ habits to determine the impact of eating fried potatoes on a regular basis.
What they uncovered was that anyone who ate fried potatoes in some form more than twice per week was more than two times more likely to die early. The positive is that consumption of potatoes on their own didn’t lower the participants life expectancy. So, feel free to have a baked potato every now and then without fearing the reaper, just don’t cover it with cheese, bacon, and sour cream because then the potato won’t be your only problem. It’s pretty much those loaded tots and “Animal Style” fries that will eventually do you in.
Now, if you really can’t seem to stop shoveling French fries into your gullet (who can?) maybe try baking them instead. I know, that seems like such a waste of a crispy, salty, treat, but maybe you’ll still enjoy them! Either that or you could try to eat some vegetables for a change. Dip a fresh, crisp, red pepper into some hummus and you’ll completely forget about French fries. (Not really. But, at least you won’t be dead.)
