New research claims that eating potatoes four times a week could be harmful and contribute to the condition that causes strokes and heart attacks.
The study, reported in the BMJ, is the first to identify potatoes as a key source of hypertension (high blood pressure).
“We found independent prospective associations of higher intake of baked, boiled or mashed potatoes and french fries with an increased risk of hypertension,” the research team - who are based in Boston, USA - said. Women are particularly at risk, they claimed, although the study found that both sexes were affected.
Their findings are a challenge to current official UK dietary advice on what foods Britons should be eating for health reasons - at present, Brits are encouraged to base meals on carbs such as potatoes, pasta, rice or bread.
When asked for its response to these claims, AHDB Potatoes put forward Helena Gibson-Moore, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, who argued that the findings left many questions unanswered.
She said: “The findings are interesting, but leave us with many unanswered questions. For example, why is the association between potato consumption and high blood pressure found in women but not men? Why are there differing findings for chips but not crisps? And whether any link is related to ingredients added to potatoes rather than the potatoes themselves.
'Most importantly, the study design cannot show causality and any mechanism involved remains unclear. As such the findings should not change current advice in the UK, where potatoes make a useful contribution to nutrient intakes such as fibre and vitamin C.'
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