You may want to limit your fry consumption, because a recent study conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people "who eat fried potatoes two or more times a week double their risk of an early death compared to those who avoid them,” according to CNN Wire.
The study, which was conducted over a span of eight years, followed the lives of 4,440 people between the ages of 45 to 79, who all had a degenerative joint disease called osteoarthritis. While the study was intended to understand the underlying cause of the joint disease, researchers decided to focus on their consumption of potatoes, because of the lack of data on the topic. What they uncovered was that those who consumed fried potatoes of any kind two to three times a week were more likely to die earlier than those who did not consume fried potatoes of any kind.
But don't freak out yet—researchers did note that this study was observational, meaning they simply tracked the behaviors of participants and noted the correlation between their diet and early death. There would need to be several much more rigorous studies to prove that fried potatoes actually cause early death.
They also noted that potatoes in their raw form are totally healthy, and it could be that people eating more fried potatoes just lead unhealthier lifestyles generally.
So take what you want from this study—but you already knew eating tons of fries is bad for you, right?