(P14-065-23) An Umbrella Review on Potato Consumption and Human Health

Objectives: The objective was to review the state of the science on potato consumption and the effect on human health.

Methods: Searches were completed on PubMed through 2022 to identify meta-analyses describing the impact of potato intake on health. Data were extracted on trial designs, outcomes assessed, the form of potato consumed (total intake, fried, or not fried), statistical methods, select results, and sub-group analyses.

Results: Fifty-eight articles were screened with 9 meta-analyses included for review, 8 of which exclusively analyzed epidemiological data. Several meta-analyses suggest potato intake increases relative risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), with mixed results linking intake to gestational diabetes, hypertension, and risk of cancer. No meta-analyses suggested a relationship between consumption and mortality, stroke, or coronary heart disease. Sub-group analyses suggest the relationship between potato consumption and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is stronger in Western populations, men, normal weight subjects, and in studies with greater sample sizes and follow-up durations. Some sub-group analyses (e.g., geographical location) were confounded with total intake. Total potato intake below 100 g/d did not consistently result in increased relative risk for any disease.

Conclusions: While potato intake has been linked to increased risk of T2DM, recent evidence suggests total potato intake below 100 g/d does not increase risk and may even reduce risk for some chronic diseases. Total intake was confounded with some sub-group analyses, masking the true effect of each sub-group. There was insufficient evidence to clearly delineate the effects of fried and non-fried potato intake. These data suggest the relationship between potato intake and health warrants greater statistical consideration for confounds. Regardless, there was a substantial lack of intervention trials to support findings from the epidemiological data.

Funding Sources: Traverse Science did not receive funding to perform the review or write the abstract.