by Valerian D.

Most of people know the benefits of vegetable consumption. Recent studies claims that this could be the secret of longevity. Then eat more vegetable, except potatoes.

The function of potatoes in a diet aiming to decrease the burden of chronic ailments has been controversial. Though potatoes have healthful contributions, they also have a high glycemic index (GI). That means they induce a strong and rapid rise of sugar level in blood. Over time, this action may damage the pancreatic cells able produce the insulin, the hormone which is needed to metabolize blood sugar.

Recent findings show that potatoes consumption is suspected to increase insulin resistance and by consequence, eating potatoes is linked with a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This conclusion remove potatoes from the list of most beneficial vegetables.

This association is visible in overweight and sedentary adults that may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of high-GI foods because they oftenhave underlying insulin resistance. The link is more pronounced in those situations when people ate potatoes instead of whole grains.

A missing of this study is the impossibility to isolate the effects of potatoes and French fries from the effects of the Western dietary template in general.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues affecting men and women as well such as type 2 diabetes