Key findings
Changes in total body fat mass and fat mass were not significantly different between the french fry groups and the almond group.
In terms of glycemic control, eating french fries for a month “is no better or worse than consuming a caloric equivalent of nuts,” the researchers noted.
Similarly, the change in total fat mass did not differ significantly among the three treatment groups.
Adding the herb and spice mix to the french fries did not make a significant difference on glycemic control, contrary to what the researchers thought might happen.
And fasting glucose, insulin, and HbA1c levels did not differ significantly between the combined french fry and almond groups. When comparisons were made among the three groups, the almond group had a lower insulin response, compared to the plain french fry group.
Many different things could be explored in future research, said study coauthor Rebecca Hanson, a registered dietitian nutritionist and research study coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “People were not told to change their exercise or diet, so there are so many different variables,” she said. Repeating the research in people with diabetes is another possibility going forward.
The researchers acknowledged that 30 days may not have been long enough to show a significant difference. But they also noted that many previous studies were observational while they used a randomized controlled trial, considered a more robust study design.
Dr. Allison, the senior author, emphasized that this is just one study. “No one study has all the answers.
“I don’t want to tell you our results are the be all and end all or that we’ve now learned everything there is to learn about potatoes and almonds,” he said.
“Our study shows for the variables we looked at ... we did not see important, discernible differences,” he said. “That doesn’t mean if you ate 500 potatoes a day or 500 kilograms of almonds it would be the same. But at these modest levels, it doesn’t seem to make much difference.”
The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and from the Alliance for Potato Research and Education.
Asked if the industry support should be a concern, Ms. Majumdar said, “Funding from a specific food board does not necessarily dilute the results of a well-designed study. It’s not uncommon for a funding source to come from a food board that may benefit from the findings. Research money has to come from somewhere.
“This study has reputable researchers, some of the best in the field,” she said.
The U.S. produces the most almonds in the world, and California is the only state where almonds are grown commercially. Asked for the almond industry’s take on the findings, “We don’t have a comment,” said Rick Kushman, a spokesman for the Almond Board of California.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.