Potato intake and heart and metabolic disease risk
What it found
In 121 observational studies in adults, higher potato intake was linked to higher blood pressure and body weight, while other heart and metabolic outcomes showed no link.
Fried potatoes, as part of a dietary pattern, were linked to higher risk.
What they found
Studies in people
Diabetes and blood sugar
Of 8 studies on type 2 diabetes, 4 found higher risk with potato intake, 2 found no difference, and 2 found lower risk. One study found higher blood glucose with potato intake, but no link with insulin resistance.
Blood pressure
Five studies looked at high blood pressure: 3 found no difference and 2 found higher risk. For systolic blood pressure, 3 of 5 studies found an increase, 1 found no difference, and 1 found a decrease. For diastolic blood pressure, 3 of 5 found no difference, 1 found an increase, and 1 found a decrease.
Body weight and BMI
Of 6 studies on body mass index or body weight, 5 found an increase with potato intake and 1 found no link.
Heart disease and stroke
Most studies found no difference in heart disease, stroke, heart attack, or heart disease deaths with higher potato intake. One study found lower heart disease deaths with higher intake.
Fried potatoes in diets
In studies looking at dietary patterns, those including French fries or potato chips were linked to higher heart and metabolic risk in all but one study. Patterns with baked or boiled potatoes were not linked to higher risk.
Blood fats
One study each on total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides found no difference between higher and lower potato intake.
What the authors conclude
“Our findings demonstrate sufficient evidence on the relationship between potato intake and risk factors associated with CVD such as type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and high blood pressure in particular.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say there is enough evidence on the link between potato intake and heart disease risk factors like type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and high blood pressure to warrant a full systematic review and meta-analysis.
- They advise that future work should look closely at different types of potato preparations and the foods eaten with them.
How it was done
A recent review of clinical trials found no convincing evidence linking potatoes to heart and metabolic diseases. The authors wanted to map the observational study evidence to see if a full systematic review was needed.
They searched medical databases for observational studies published from 1946 to July 2020 that looked at potato intake and heart or metabolic health in adults. They found 121 eligible studies and grouped them by how they measured potato intake.
What it can’t tell you
- These are observational studies, so they can show links but cannot prove that potato intake causes any health outcome.
- The studies used food frequency questionnaires, which rely on people's memory and may be inaccurate.
- Many studies did not separate boiled, baked, or fried potatoes, so the effect of different preparations is unclear.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- All authors, Jisun So, Esther E. Avendano, Elizabeth J. Johnson, and Gowri Raman declare that they have “no competing interests.”
- Authors work at
- Tufts University, USA; Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, USA
The paper
- Title
- Potato consumption and risk of cardio-metabolic diseases: evidence mapping of observational studies
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- So J, Avendano EE, Raman G, Johnson EJ (2020). Potato consumption and risk of cardio-metabolic diseases: evidence mapping of observational studies. Systematic reviews. doi:10.1186/s13643-020-01519-yFree full textPubMed 33261659DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error