Instant Noodles: How Harmful It Is

It is often demonized: along with cola and chips, instant noodles are considered almost poison. Does it threaten massive gastritis, ulcers, strokes and cancer?

It is often demonized: along with cola and chips, instant noodles are considered almost poison. Meanwhile, 44 billion packages of these noodles are eaten around the world every year. Does it threaten massive gastritis, ulcers, strokes and cancer? Let's see what the research says.

What is in the composition?

This is what such noodles are usually made of:

• Wheat flour of the highest grade;
• Palm oil;
• Modified starch;
• Salt;
• Food supplement emulsifier (sorbitol, soybean oil, lecithins);
• Gluten;
• Complex food supplement "premix" (potassium carbonate, guar gum, sodium polyphosphate, riboflavin);
• Dried kelp;
• Seasonings (sugar, yeast extract, vegetable protein, onion, soy sauce powder);
• Dye "beta-carotene".

What does it all mean?

 

Scientists of the Siberian State University analyzed the composition. And this is what they came up with:

It is based on the most useless (but not dangerous) type of wheat flour. It has a lot of calories, but almost no fiber and vitamins.

Noodles contain preservatives and flavor enhancers: potassium sorbate, benzonate and monosodium glutamate. These supplements are harmful if consumed in large amounts. But there are very few of them in vermicelli: less than in a regular steak.

Palm oil in reasonable quantities is also not dangerous. We talked about it in detail in the article "Palm oil - friend or foe?".

Modified starch has nothing to do with genetic engineering and is allowed even in the production of baby food. It is needed to make the product thicker.

Well, gluten is a vegetable protein, which is abundant in bread.

So, you can eat noodles?

 

A healthy person can. Sometimes. It does not bring any particular harm, but there is practically no benefit in it either, and, therefore, with constant use, the body will lack useful substances.

In addition, Japanese scientists warned: the dish contains too many unnatural components. They believe that because of this it is difficult for the stomach to digest it.

And Harvard experts found out: women from South Korea have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Scientists believe that Korean women eat noodles too often - that's why it happens. But such risks were not found in men.

And to whom is this dish contraindicated?

People with any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and kidneys. It is not the noodles themselves that are dangerous, but the broth: it contains a lot of hot pepper and salt.

And what is the conclusion from all this?

 

Instant noodles cannot replace regular fresh food. If you eat it constantly, a deficiency of proteins, fats and microelements is formed in the body - and this can provoke an illness. Therefore, natural products should always be a priority.

Otherwise, it is not so harmful. Scientists have not yet found any confirmation that the rare consumption of such noodles is harmful to health.