By Jessica Nguyen, Staff Writer
Heat up some water, pour in some packets and suddenly you’ve got a meal in front of you. Although instant ramen may be convenient and inexpensive, it may have more serious consequences than the few dollars and minutes you saved.
Ramen noodles are not ramade with love; they are made from wheat flour, various vegetable oils and flavoring. However, they lack key nutrients including protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium and potassium. To make the noodles quick to cook, they are steamed and then air dried or fried in palm oil. Pre-cooked, packaged ramen also have little antioxidants and phytochemicals. Ramen packs a bunch of calories into a meal with little nutrients compared to a balanced meal including foods, like vegetables or meats, could otherwise provide.
While providing little nutrients, instant ramen provides too much saturated fats and sodium. One package usually contains 1,760 mg of sodium, although it depends on different brands and flavors. While sodium is an essential mineral that helps with muscles contractions, nerve impulses throughout the body and fluid balance regulations, an excess of salt can lead to higher risks of stomach cancer, heart disease, stroke and raised blood pressure.
In addition, flavor enhancers and preservatives can be found in instant ramen, leading to negative side effects. One common ingredient in ramen is tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), which is used to help preserve the noodles; large doses of TBHQ have linked to neurological damage, higher risk of lymphoma and liver enlargement. Monosodium glutamate or MSG makes food taste better and can result in headaches, nausea, high blood pressure, weakness, muscle tightness and flushing of the skin. MSG is also known as the “perfect obesity drug” leading to weight gain and can even kill your brain cells.
Still not convinced? A Baylor University study confirmed that “instant noodle intake [is] associated with distinct cardiometabolic risk factors in Korea.” South Korean adults between 19 to 64 who ate instant ramen at least twice a week had an increased chance of developing metabolic disorder, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
In an experiment done by Dr. Braken Kuo of Massachusetts General Hospital, a camera inside the stomach and digestive tract showed that they don’t break down even after two hours; this causes a strain on your digestive system, forcing it to work harder to break down the food, and impacting nutrients’ absorption.
If you’re buying your ramen in styrofoam cups, watch out! Bisphenol-A or BPA is widely found in styrofoam and is a type of carcinogen and hormone disruptor that can affect estrogen and other natural hormones in our bodies.
In desperate moments when you have no money, energy or time, instant ramen noodles can still be eaten. You can make your noodles healthier by adding vegetables and protein that can be found in eggs, chicken, fish or tofu to add nutrients. When buying your ramen, choose low-sodium versions or even making your own broth and ditching the flavor packet! Not mention, there are other foods that are healthy, affordable and cheap: brown rice, oats, potatoes or other varieties of noodles like soba, udon, authentic ramen and shirataki.
Instant ramen noodles also put into question: what has the food industry became nowadays? With harmful chemicals and preservatives in virtually everything you eat, health problems are only increasing. Processed foods like ramen are made to be additive and make you overeat. Maybe it is time for us to reconsider what we are putting into our mouths.
So, even though instant ramen noodles are bad, feed into your craving once in a while but just ramenember (remember), moderation is key!
