High BP

A study published in the British Medical Journal warns that eating potatoes is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure.

The study undertaken by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School suggests that replacing one serving a day of potatoes with one serving of a non-starchy vegetable is associated with a lower risk of developing hypertension. The study shows that four or more servings a week of baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes are linked to an 11 per cent increased risk of high blood pressure compared with less than one serving a month in women. Both men and women who ate four or more servings a week of French fries had a 17 percent higher risk of high blood pressure. The research explained that high content of glycaemic index (GI) in potatoes can trigger a sharp rise in the blood sugar levels which is one of the risk factors of hypertension.

The study followed over 187,000 men and women in US for more than 20 years. The dietary habits of participants were assessed using a questionnaire. Researchers, however, reported that potato chips were not associated with increased risk of blood pressure.