Study: Eating Potatoes May Raise Risk for High Blood Pressure

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Potatoes are an important ingredient in many popular Latino dishes, such as papas con carne, caldos and papas horneadas. New research suggests eating this popular South American vegetable more than four times a week can raise the risk for high blood pressure—a condition that affects millions of Latinos in the U.S, Health Day reports.

According to researchers who analyzed data from more than 180,000 people who took part in three different studies in the U.S., eating baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes is linked with an 11% increased risk; eating fried potatoes is linked to a 17% risk.

“Potatoes have what’s called a high glycemic index compared with other vegetables,” said lead researcher Dr. Lea Borgi. “[That] can trigger a sharp rise in blood sugar, which might explain the findings.”

To lower your risk researchers recommend replacing one serving a day of potatoes with a non-starchy vegetable.