All articles tagged with #potatoes
A BMJ study tracking more than 205,000 people over 30 years links three weekly servings of French fries to up to a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes, while baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes show little impact; swapping fries for whole grains reduces risk by about 19%, highlighting that potatoes can be part of a healthy diet when eaten with protein, fiber, and vegetables rather than as a standalone snack.
A Nature Communications study finds Indigenous Andeans in Peru have about 10 copies of the salivary amylase gene, more than the global average of seven, likely due to natural selection after potato domestication roughly 10,000 years ago. More gene copies can mean more amylase enzyme, potentially improving starch digestion; individuals with more copies had a 1.24% higher chance of surviving and reproducing, indicating a strong adaptive advantage that may have shaped this genome feature.
A BMJ study following over 205,000 U.S. health professionals for nearly 40 years found that three weekly servings of French fries are tied to a 20% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while the same amount of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes showed no significant increase. Replacing three weekly servings of potatoes with whole grains reduced risk by about 8%, replacing baked/boiled/mashed potatoes with whole grains reduced risk by about 4%, and replacing French fries with whole grains reduced risk by about 19%. Replacing potatoes with white rice increased diabetes risk. Because the study is observational, it cannot prove causation and may not generalize to all populations. The findings support favoring whole grains and moderating fried potato consumption as part of diabetes prevention.
A dietitian explains that six commonly enjoyed foods—potatoes, pasta, cheese, red wine, popcorn and dark chocolate—can carry surprising health benefits when prepared simply and eaten in moderation, showing that nutrition exists on a spectrum and that the idea of strict 'healthy' vs. 'unhealthy' foods is oversimplified.
An apparently purple lifeform photographed on the ISS by NASA astronaut Don Pettit was revealed to be a purple potato sprouting in a hydroponic setup, with the so-called tentacles being sprouts and a Velcro patch keeping the potato in place. Nicknamed Spudnik-1, the potato highlights Pettit’s space gardening hobby, which has produced several crops in orbit; potatoes have been grown in space since 1995, though growth in microgravity tends to be slower.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit's photo of an egg-shaped potato sprouting on the International Space Station — nicknamed Spudnik-1 — sparked online fear, as many netizens mistook the tentacle-like sprouts and white cilia for an alien egg. Pettit says the tuber was part of a space-garden experiment during Expedition 72 (2024–25); in microgravity roots can grow in all directions, and the white filaments were Velcro to keep them from floating away. The potato's fate isn’t known, but the project showcases potatoes as a practical crop for growing food off Earth.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit posted a photo of a purple potato grown on the International Space Station, jokingly called Spudnik-1. The purple hue comes from anthocyanins, and Pettit's post highlights ongoing space farming experiments and technologies like Veggie and Advanced Plant Habitat aimed at producing food for long-duration missions.
A photo by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station that looked like a purple, tentacled egg sparked online speculation of an alien object, but Pettit later explained it was a purple potato grown during Expedition 72 as part of space gardening, a nod to The Martian and the future of long‑duration missions.
A NASA astronaut’s social-media photo of a tentacled growth on the ISS sparked jokes, but Don Pettit explains it’s an early purple potato growing in his improvised space-garden terrarium, part of ongoing research into cultivating crops in microgravity for future long-duration missions.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit posted a Expedition 72 photo of a bizarre tentacled object on the International Space Station; it’s actually an early purple potato nicknamed ‘Spudnik’ tied to a grow-light terrarium with Velcro. Pettit explained potatoes were grown in space as part of his off-duty gardening, noting roots behave differently in microgravity, while fans joked “kill it with fire.” The story highlights ongoing space agriculture efforts aboard the ISS and the station’s role as a long-running international lab.
Germany’s record potato harvest led to a citywide free-potato giveaway in Berlin, with around 4,000 tonnes redirected from landfill to residents, soup kitchens, shelters, schools and even the zoo; 174 distribution points opened, including shipments to Ukraine, as the event—organized with Ecosia and a Berlin newspaper—shows both the abundance of the crop and tensions in food markets, while sparking new potato recipes and debates over surplus farming.
After a bumper national potato harvest, a Saxony farm distributes millions of potatoes for free to food banks, schools and churches, with Berlin receiving about 500,000 kg to help prevent waste; the effort, dubbed the “great potato rescue,” has mixed reactions—praised for reducing waste but criticized by some farmers for market disruption—and funding is expected to dry up later this year.
Lay's is rebranding to emphasize its natural potato origins by removing artificial dyes, updating packaging to resemble a potato crate, and highlighting the use of real potatoes, in response to consumer misconceptions and health trends, while facing declining sales.
A Harvard study links eating three servings of French fries weekly to a 20% increased risk of developing diabetes, while healthier potato preparations like baked or boiled potatoes do not pose this risk. Replacing potatoes with whole grains can reduce diabetes risk, emphasizing the importance of preparation methods and dietary choices for health.
A study finds that eating French fries increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, while other potato preparations do not, and replacing potatoes with whole grains can lower risk, highlighting the importance of preparation methods and food choices in diabetes prevention.