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Adults with diabetes reap heart-health benefits from baked potatoes, new research reveals
Baked potatoes could be just the food to boost heart health among adults with diabetes, a new study suggests.
Research recently presented by Neda Akhavan, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), revealed a modest decrease in fasting blood glucose levels, as well as improvements in body composition, waist circumference and resting heart rate among study participants who incorporated a daily serving of potato into their diets.
“We wanted to look at a [particular] food that was highly stigmatized, such as a potato,” Akhavan told Fox News Digital in a video interview from her office at UNLV.
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The clinical trial, funded by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education, took place when Akhavan was working at Florida State University in Tallahassee.
“A lot of people [with Type 2 diabetes] tend to think they shouldn’t eat carbs or especially starchy carbohydrates like potato,” Akhavan said.
UNLV assistant professor Neda Akhavan, PhD, holds baked potatoes in her hands. She recently presented her findings on the health benefits of baked potatoes for adults living with Type 2 diabetes. (Becca Schwartz/UNLV)
American Diabetes Association guidelines, however, advise against cutting carbs completely. Instead, carbs should be consumed in moderation.
All 24 participants of the study group were given a pre-made baked potato with the skin measured to 100 grams, with only 20 grams of carbohydrates, and a comparable portion of white rice with the same number of calories and carbohydrates, Akhavan said.
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The trial lasted for 12 weeks — that’s the minimum time needed to observe changes in indices of glycemic control and cardiometabolic health, said Akhavan.
Participants were allowed to add herbs or spices or up to half a tablespoon of butter, Akhavan said, but they were told not to fry their potatoes.
Participants of a recent clinical trial were allowed to add butter, herbs and spices to their baked potatoes. (iStock)
The study is believed to be the first of its kind to measure scientifically the cardiovascular benefits of potatoes for adults with diabetes, Akhavan said.
“We even looked at vascular health,” she added. “We didn’t see any significance.”
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The “biggest takeaway” from the research, which has yet to be published, is “changing our idea about potatoes,” Akhavan said.
“There were no harmful effects,” she said. “And that is, I think, a very significant outcome.”
New research reveals that baked potatoes can help the hearts of diabetics. (iStock)
Akhavan’s research was specific to the baked potato only.
“Boiling a potato is quite different than baking it, even though you’re applying heat,” Akhavan said.
“But there is some potential loss of even that resistant starch, which is that beneficial fiber, that could happen with boiling potatoes. Once again, I think the biggest thing is not frying it or adding [lots] of fats.”
Eating the skin, she said, is “a really important part of it as well.”
Eating the skin of a baked potato is “a really important part” of boosting a diabetic’s heart health, according to new research. (iStock)
The American Diabetes Association declined to comment on the study, but it noted the seven recognized meal patterns that are recommended for people with diabetes.
“We encourage people living with diabetes to consult with their health care team about what meal pattern might work well for them based on their particular health needs and goals,” the association told Fox News Digital in an email.
Akhavan said she is hoping to be able to conduct large-scale clinical trials in the future.
For now, though, she is encouraged by the results.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle
“We shouldn’t shy away from a potato, even those who are diabetic.”
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David Coit scored 17 points, Elijah Saunders added 15, and Maryland defeated Oregon 70-60 in a first-round game of the Big Ten Tournament on Tuesday.
Maryland held Oregon to 3-for-22 shooting (14%) with 0 for 10 from 3-point distance in the first half and the Terrapins led 33-12 at the break. Maryland scored the first nine points and the Ducks made their first field goal at the 8:46 mark, making the score 17-8. Maryland later ran off 10 consecutive points for a 31-10 lead. Coit scored 12 points in the first half.
An 11-2 run helped the Ducks cut their deficit to 12 points early in the second half, but Maryland allowed only three points over the next 5 1/2 minutes and the lead was 58-34 near the 8-minute mark. A dunk and a three-point play from Nate Bittle started a 15-2 run for Oregon and it was 60-49 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.
The Ducks got within single digits a few times, the last at 67-58 with 53 seconds remaining but Maryland’s Darius Adams made 3 of 4 free throws to preserve a double-digit margin.
Bittle scored 16 points, Kwame Evans Jr. 14 and Takai Simpkins 10 for 16th-seeded Oregon (12-20).
Maryland, seeded 17th, got 12 points, six rebounds and five assists from Andre Mills. Solomon Washington also scored 12 points and Adams finished with 10 points for the Terrapins (12-20).
Maryland defeated Oregon for the first time. The Ducks had won the only two prior matchups — both since joining the Big Ten last season. Most recently, Oregon won 64-54 at Maryland in January.
Up next
Maryland plays ninth-seeded Iowa in the second round on Wednesday.
SALT LAKE CITY — The 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City were, in a way, Utah’s entrance onto the world stage.
While the Beehive State is no longer a secret, the return of the Winter Olympics in 2034 will give the state a chance to showcase what could very well be the future of flight after the Utah Department of Transportation and state partners on Monday were selected to lead a federal pilot program to test advanced electric aircraft and other emerging aviation technologies.
More specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration selected Utah as one of eight projects nationwide for the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program, a three-year initiative designed to help safely integrate advanced aircraft into the national airspace.
“What this means for Utah and for advanced air mobility is that this enables us to work very closely with the FAA in testing the technology that makes up advanced air mobility,” said Matt Maass, director of UDOT’s Aeronautics Division. “So the vertical takeoff and landing aircraft will be used for moving passengers, these aircraft will be used for moving cargo, medical transport, and it’s all going to be done electrically.”
Specifically, through an initiative called “uFly,” Utah will lead a collaboration between Oregon, Idaho, Arizona and Oklahoma — along with industry partners and research institutions — to test new aviation technology and gather data that will inform the future of electric flight.
Partners in the initiative include BETA Technologies, Ampaire, Joby Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Future Flight Global, Alpine Air, Jump Aero and Utah aerospace and defense company 47G.
Utah has been selected by @SecDuffy and the FAA as one of eight national pilot sites for next-generation electric aircraft. We’re proud to help shape the future of aviation right here in Utah, creating jobs, strengthening mobility, and keeping America at the forefront of… pic.twitter.com/pV2envlxUt
— Governor Cox (@GovCox) March 9, 2026
BETA Technologies might sound familiar to a lot of Utahns, for good reason.
In May 2024, the company launched Project ALTA in conjunction with 47G. Technically known as the Air Logistics Transportation Alliance, the project’s goal is to establish an “advanced air mobility system” for the state.
According to 47G, advanced air mobility is a novel mode of transportation that uses electric aircraft to move people and packages throughout the state. BETA Technologies in March 2025 returned to the state to conduct six days of demonstration flights, showcasing its electric ALIA aircraft.
The federal project, although it doesn’t have any funding attached, brings together over 30 public and private partners to conduct real-world flight operations.
“It will focus on parcels and packages, but then eventually people,” said Aaron Starks, president and CEO of 47G. “This designation now allows us to, through a phased approach, begin implementing all of this right away.”
Utah’s diverse landscapes are another reason the FAA chose the state to lead one of eight projects, Maass explained, saying the electric aircraft can be tested at high-altitude, snowy settings, desert environments and more.
Starks added he’s excited by the prospect of Utah leading the way when it comes to building a functional air mobility system.
“I grew up in northern Utah and rural Utah, and I remember as a kid, coming down to Salt Lake was like a big deal. That was the big city, right? You can be in an air taxi in Provo and into Moab in 36 minutes,” Starks said. “(If) I’m a Utah Jazz fan, or I want to go catch an MLB game, I can get in an air taxi and my family and I can be in Salt Lake, and we can be part of what’s happening here in the state, and live further away from the metropolitan areas that exist on the Wasatch Front. It’s awesome. It’s really cool.”
Starks added that in addition to moving people and packages, the project is also looking into how electric aircraft can be used for avalanche detection and mitigation, organ transplant delivery, wildfire monitoring and other exciting applications.
“This is going to happen in a phased approach, and our goal is to democratize this form of transportation so all families can take advantage,” Starks said.
The pilot program, like the inaugural ventures into electric flight from players like 47G, UDOT and BETA Technologies, has strong legislative backing.
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams said that nearly a decade ago, he told the Legislature that someday, electric air taxis would be flying in Utah and that he wanted the state to lead that effort.
“That one day, that one day is here today. We are now leading the effort with other states to bring air mobility to Utah and I couldn’t be more excited,” Adams said. “Our goal, our vision, is, we hope to have this functioning to be able to show off air taxis delivering to our Olympic venues.”
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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