The study does have some important limitations. Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said of the findings: “This type of study can only show an association, not cause and effect. So we can’t conclude that potatoes cause high blood pressure and we cannot explain the cause of the results seen in the study.
“It is also important to note this is a study from the US where dietary guidance and recommendations vary from the UK. For example, in the UK potatoes are not included in the 5-a-day recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption.
“While potatoes are part of the starchy carbohydrates section of the Government’s Eatwell guide, we must remember that, as with all foods, it’s important to consider the overall balance of the foods we eat.”
The paper says: “Although potassium supplementation may be beneficial for chronic disease prevention, in particular prevention of hypertension, a six week feeding trial of 164 pre-hypertensive and hypertensive people found that diets rich in protein or monounsaturated fat reduced blood pressure compared with diets rich in carbohydrates.