Put the fries down. And the chips. And forget about hash browns.

Those french fries could be killing you.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found those who ate fried potatoes two to three times each week doubled their chance of dying early compared to those who ate no fried potatoes.

That includes potato chips, hash browns, french fries – any potatoes cooked in a fryer, Nicola Veronese, lead author of the study and a scientist at the National Research Council in Padova, Italy, told CNN.

The study has tracked 4,440 people ages 45 to 79 over eight years to monitor osteoarthritis.

National Potato Council CEO John Keeling told CNN the study “isn’t relevant to the general population” since the data was collected for an osteoarthritis study and includes only patients with arthritis.

According to the National Potato Council, the average person ate 112 pounds of potatoes in 2014. About 70 percent of that total was processed potatoes.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, the study offers one: mashed potatoes and other nonfried spuds were not linked to an increased risk of mortality.

And the study’s authors say more research needs to be done “to confirm if overall potato consumption is associated with higher mortality risk.”

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 9:27 PM with the headline "Put the fries down. And the chips. And forget about hash browns.."