Instant noodles or ramen has been heaven-sent because of the fact that provide instant tummy-filling goodness at an easy-for-the-pocket price and time. More so, it’s tasty and it’s one treat especially if you crave a different taste than the usual meals you’re having. But have you ever thought of the health concerns this might bring you?
Most of these instant noodles have “refined carbohydrates” in their packages so this would make you feel comfortable of consuming it. Especially during times when you need a quick meal, your last resort would be to find and munch on these instant noodles for an easy pleasurable temporary fix to your hunger.
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Instant noodles? What are these?
If you have been living under a rock, instant noodles is a precooked type of noodles which are dried. They usually have the flavor and ingredients inside the package and you have to dissolve it with hot water. Wait for a few minutes and voila, you have yourself a decent meal.
What’s not known by many is that instant noodles might have negative health risks because of what it mainly is. Due to the fact that it’s processed and it’s bombarded with preservatives and additives, it’s really something you shouldn’t eat on a daily basis.
So, why is eating instant noodles unhealthy?
A lot of people have the misconception that the only thing bad in eating noodles is that they don’t get digested quite easily; that they get stored in your stomach for weeks. As a matter of fact, there still are a lot of factors you should think about but a part of that is true.
For one, a regular instant ramen pack contains at least 1,100 milligrams of sodium. That figure alone is close to the maximum you should have in a day. Too much sodium can cause discrepancies in the urinary tract of a person. Crystals can form and worse, kidney stones might be present. So, if you don’t drink enough water, eating a pack of instant noodles in a day could possibly dehydrate you.
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On the other hand, drinking more water could make you feel a little bit bloated but not full. Since instant ramen and noodles contain a lot of refined carbs, it’s giving you empty calories so your body doesn’t actually gain anything good out of it. It doesn’t have fiber or protein so it’s just full of carbs and overeating carbs can lead you to experience a spike in your blood sugar levels and when you crave to eat again, you might eat more – which leads to gain weight.
Dr. Braden Kuo of Massachusetts General Hospital, had notable and visual proof when he utilized a small camera to record the digestive tracts of volunteers who ate processed instant noodles in 2012. What they found was scary and disgusting at the same time. When he published his recordings, he was able to show that after two (2) hours of eating, the ramen noodles were still almost intact with the intestines. Although the reason for this remains unclear, the results of his study and observation was alarming for all people especially those who regularly eat instant noodles.
A separate study done by the Harvard School of Public Health saw that women in South Korea, who ate instant noodles at least twice a week, had a 68% higher risk of developing a metablock syndrome. A condition that drastically increases the risk of the most feared diseases on Earth – heart diseases and diabetes.
In conclusion, eating instant ramen is not at all healthy or beneficial for us. We feel full temporarily and it’s unreal; we consume too much sodium that we need than just in a day which can lead to a lot of complications.
So what should we do to lessen or better, stop this?
With the lifestyle we currently have, it’s easy to say and be succumbed with the fact that instant noodles could sometimes be a treat. It’s tasty, it’s easy-to-prepare, and it’s cheap. However, it’s not a preferable meal everytime you crave for it.
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Instead of choosing it whenever your body asks for it, why not go for fresh noodles instead? It might not be cheap and it might require you to exert more effort, but it’s healthy and it won’t strain your health.
As much as possible, try to avoid eating instant noodles. As you saw in the Harvard research, women who ate it at least twice a week had drastically higher chances of developing diseases. What more if you ate more than just twice a week. So, try considering eating alternatives instead.
