Instant noodles are very popular. In fact, there is a high demand on this food not only in Asian countries but in the US as well. It’s convenient to prepare, easy to consume and is available almost everywhere. However, consuming a lot of it can actually put one at risk for heart problems, according to a study authored by nutrition experts.
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition was conducted by Hyun Shin and colleagues at Baylor University and Harvard. They analyzed the health and diet of about 11,000 adults in South Korea between the ages of 19 and 64. In the study, the participants reported what they consumed, and the data was categorized into two: “traditional dietary pattern” and “meat and fast-food pattern”.
The results of the study revealed that women in South Korea who consumed instant noodles at least twice a week were more likely to have metabolic syndrome, a condition where a person may have hypertension, an increase in blood sugar levels and have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. This is regardless of what else they consumed or how much exercise they do.
Shin and his colleagues hypothesized that the biological differences between men and women might account for the lack of evident association in men between eating instant noodles and the risk for developing metabolic syndrome.
On a final note, Shin said that the risk for metabolic syndrome is due to the reason that instant noodles are high in sodium, unhealthy saturated fat and glycemic loads.
