Eat french fries every day for a month? Sure, as long as it's for science.
That's exactly what 107 people did in a scientific study, while 58 others ate a daily serving of almonds with the same number of calories.
At the end of the study, the researchers found no significant differences between the groups in people's total amount of fat or their fasting glucose measures, according to the study, which was published last month in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The french fry eaters gained a little more weight, but it was not statistically significant. The people who ate french fries gained 0.49 kilograms (just over a pound), vs. about a tenth of a kilogram (about one-fifth of a pound) in the group of people who ate almonds.
"The take-home is if you like almonds, eat some almonds. If you like potatoes, eat some potatoes, but don't overeat either," says study leader David B. Allison, PhD, a professor at Indiana University's School of Public Health in Bloomington. 'It's probably good to have a little bit of each — each has some unique advantages in terms of nutrition."
"This study confirms what registered dietitian nutritionists already know — all foods can fit. We can eat almonds, french fries, kale, and cookies," says Melissa Majumdar, a registered dietitian and certified specialist in obesity and weight management at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta. 'The consumption of one food or the avoidance of another does not make a healthy diet."
At the same time, people should not interpret the results to mean it's OK to eat french fries all day, every day. "We know that while potatoes are nutrient dense, the frying process reduces the nutritional value," Majumdar says.
"Because french fries are often consumed alongside other nutrient-poor or high-fat foods, they should not be consumed daily but can fit into an overall balanced diet," Majumdar says.
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