Findings mitigate food myths
The debate continues about whether there are foods that are “good” or “evil;” or foods that one “should not eat” or “should eat,” said Amy Rothberg, MD, associate professor of internal medicine and of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in an interview.
“This study dispels the myth that incorporating a small portion of potato into the diet (although these are not potatoes that are fried, or are topped with cheese, bacon, sour cream, etc.) results in deleterious metabolic outcomes when compared to a diet that is comprised of beans (pulses) as part of a low energy–dense diet,” she explained.
“The diet in both groups was of low energy density, which has been shown to result in fewer calories consumed, weight loss, and improvement in insulin resistance,” so the similarity in results was not so surprising, said Dr. Rothberg.
For the clinical takeaway, Dr. Rothberg agreed with the study authors: “Clinicians may counsel their patients that they can still consume a small potato (with the caveat above regarding cooking methods and toppings) as part of a balanced meal so long as they are keeping their overall calories low and not exceeding their metabolic requirements based on body weight/BMI,” she said.
As for additional research, studies with a longer time frame and a larger and more diverse study population are needed, including populations with common insulin resistance comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Rothberg noted.
Consumer considerations, with caveats
The key message for consumers is that, “based on this very small study of short duration, consuming a small portion of potato as part of an overall balanced, low-energy diet did not produce adverse effects on glucose or insulin when compared to a diet of pulses known to have favorable effects on glucose and insulin,” Dr. Rothberg told this news organization. However, “consumers should note that, although the results from this small study are encouraging, it would be premature to extrapolate the findings from this study to other populations,” she said. Also, keep in mind that the study was supported in part by the Alliance for Potato Research, although the authors stated that none of the funders (Alliance for Potato Research and Education and the National Institutes of Health) had any role in the design, analysis, or writing of the article, she added.
The study was supported in part by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education and the National Institutes of Health, which funds the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center. The researchers and Dr. Rothberg had no financial conflicts to disclose.