Bad news for hot chip lovers
Golden, crunchy, delicious – hot chips (or French fries) are an irresistible junk food temptation.
While there’s no illusions that the greasy yet crispy sticks of goodness are healthy, a new eight-year study has found just how bad they are for us. Now we know regular eaters of hot chips have double the chance of death than those who only eat them occasionally.
Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who eat fried potato two or more times each week have double the chance of dying compared to those who eat none.
And on average, we eat around 14kg of fried potato chips every year.
The study followed 4440 people aged 45 to 79 over an eight-year period and tracked their potato eating habits. During that time 236 people died, with a disproportionate number of them being regular eaters of fried potatoes.
Hot chips weren’t the only culprit though, other forms of fried potato regularly consumed included hash browns, potato gems… basically any form of fried potato.
The study doesn’t aim the blame solely on the hot chip, but it shows how much we eat fatty fries can be a predictor of early death.
It should come as no surprise as we know fried food is unhealthy, but the researchers warn that heavy consumption of fried food has consequences. They, however, did find that those who limited their indulgence to just once or twice a month didn’t appear to be at any increased risk.
So like much in life, moderation is the best advice.