They are a comfortable and delicious food that can increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in women, especially if consumed more than twice a week.
Nowadays, it seems that if you are a university student in a shared apartment, your pantry must be full of containers of instant noodles. However, this handy method to quell hunger and quickly and tasty fixed meals could wreak havoc on consumers’ health, especially in women. At least, this is what defends a study carried out by a group of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), whose results were published in the famous ‘Journal of Nutrition. Its consumption would increase the risks of developing metabolic syndrome in women by 68%. Although, yes, it is necessary to eat this type of instant noodles at least twice a week. This research focused on a group of 10,711 adults in South Korea, a choice that is not accidental, given that the consumption of instant noodles in this country is the highest in the world.
And why women?
However, many will find it curious that the most affected are women. Why? One of the main authors of the research, Dr. Frank B. Hu, professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard, wonders the same thing: “This may be because women report their diet with greater precision or because postmenopausal women are more sensitive to the dietary effect of carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fats.” The consumption of instant noodles is relatively high among Asian populations. Without going any further, South Koreans consumed 3.4 billion packages of noodles in 2010 alone.
The study that we echo also assesses the bisphenol A present in this class of containers that are heated in the microwave. “Bisphenol A, which is frequently found in containers foam polystyrene (widely used for packaging instant noodle), is a selective modulator of estrogen receptors that can accelerate adipogenesis. Connections have been established between bisphenol A and obesity”, explain those responsibly. Based on the above, Dr. Hu tried to discourage frequent consumption of instant noodles in a ‘New York Times’ article published in August 2014. “Once or twice a month is not a problem. But a few times a week, it is. “But what contraindications are we exposed to according to this research? And what exactly is metabolic syndrome?
What is metabolic syndrome?
The metabolic syndrome, as detailed in the medical website Medline Plus, National Library of Medicine of the United States, is a group of conditions that increase the risk of developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes, for example:
- High blood pressure
- High blood glucose levels
- Elevated blood levels of triglycerides
- Good cholesterol reduction
- Excess fat around the waist
Bisphenol A, found in Styrofoam, can accelerate adipogenesis.
Therefore, after reading it, it seems clear that we can not underestimate such a threat. But what happens in Spain? Are we consuming these noodles with as much relish as the South Koreans? Well, we point ways. The truth is that a walk through the supermarket shelf designed to house this kind of product shows us the growth it has experienced in recent years. The success of this thriving business has surprised even its manufacturers. Gallina Blanca, which sells one of the most popular options, did not imagine when it decided to launch it on the market to account for 30% of its sales. Noodle fans, such as Ramenator, also develop websites. Cat. A portal was created by a group of friends, enthusiasts of this food, who wanted to share their knowledge and experience about the different brands. “We decided to make a web page where we can rate them to avoid going back to buy those that we had not liked,” they explain.
What do nutritionists think?
At Alimente, we wanted to obtain the opinion of a nutritionist. Thus, we have consulted Sara Garcés, who seems to agree with the results of this research fully: “This type of instant noodle is harmful to health for several reasons. First, its composition is very bad. This class of noodles contains large amounts of refined flour, added sugar, and poor-quality fats, such as palm. A small glass can provide about 320 kcal and absolutely no nutrients, that is, empty calories. “In addition, the frequent use of these products makes food consumption quality move, for example, the vegetables and legumes. Therefore, besides being unhealthy to the consume, they are also because the eating them we are not eating quality food “, concludes this nutrition expert.
How it all started?
The Chinese noodle soup or mama ramen, whose word probably comes from the traditional way they are made, i.e., the union of Chinese characters’ ran (stretch) and ‘men’ (vermicelli) – began his brilliant career towards success when, in 1972, a Japanese businessman decided to market packaged noodles known as Cup Noodles in the United States. “In 1972, our Gardena, California plant began producing Top Ramen, the first instant ramen made and sold in the United States. Since the. Thessin Foods USA has launched a continuous stream of new and innovative products for hungry Americans and lovers of noodles, “they explain on the official product portal.
