The One Food You Shouldn't Order At Brunch

We all knew that french fries weren't the most healthy option, but a recent study shows that they might be worse for use than we thought. A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition earlier this month found that people who eat fried potatoes two or more times a week “were at an increased risk of mortality.”

The research team divided study participants into subgroups based on the frequency they ate potatoes each week. They followed the participants, aged 45 to 79, over the course of eight years during which time 236 of them died. Using the data they collected from each group, Nicola Veronese, lead author of the study, and a dozen researchers discovered that those who ate fried potatoes two to three times per week were twice as likely to die early compared to those who didn't eat fried potatoes.

“No study existed about this possible association!” Nicola Veronese, a scientist with the National Research Council said to The Washington Post. I think the explanation for this could be put into the "ignorance is bliss" category.

If eating french fries is wrong, these Twitter users don't want to be right. People responded to the results of the study by saying what we were all thinking.

If you are now questioning the meaning of brunch without hashbrowns, fear not. We can be reassured by the kind and reasonable words of Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. Her interpretation of the findings, along with a few other scientists, is less alarming.

“First, this is an association,” Nestle said in an email with The Washington Post. “Fried potatoes are associated with somewhat higher mortality, but this does not mean that they cause death. People who eat a lot of fried potatoes might have other unhealthy lifestyle practices — they might have worse diets in general, not exercise, smoke more or drink more.”

She went on to say that "the most significant associations are at the highest levels of intake of fried potatoes — three times a week or more."

"The moral here is moderation," Nestle said. "If you love french fries, make them a once-in-a-while treat."

Still scared? Researchers noted that un-fried potatoes didn't have the same link to mortality. So, maybe think about getting mashed potatoes as a side instead.