To Ramen or Not to Ramen? That is the Question

[easysurfer]

I have a confession. I like ramen noodles since my very first taste of the stuff. This is even pre-college days.

However, heard about studies that ramen noodles, the noodles itself isn't the best thing for you.

I have about 5 individual wrappings of noodles left in the cupboard but haven't touched in months since reading about the warning as I'm stuck on that to eat or not to eat question .

An article on the ramen noodle warning:

Quote:

Yes, you know that instant ramen isn't good for you, but studies have confirmed just how harmful the prepackaged food can really be. A study in the Journal of Nutrition links instant noodle consumption with heart risk, particularly in women. The researchers conducted a study in South Korea, where consumption of instant noodles is the highest in the world, with more than 10,700 people ranging in age from 19 to 64. The results? "Women who consume instant noodles frequently were found to be more likely to have metabolic syndrome — the group of risk factors, including obesity and high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes."

https://www.popsugar.com/food/Instan...d-You-43293067

A few notes from that article which may put me in the safe zone if I decide to not kick the ramen habit:

1) Though not explained why, the harmful effects were mostly found in women and not men

2) the article says, in moderation probably okay.

I would like to know first, why only impacts women and not men. Second, would a helpful perspective is there was a comparison on how bad a helping of ramen noodles compare to other not so healthy but common foods like July 4th grilled burgers and hot dogs or fried chicken.

[FIREmenow]

I'm with you. I *LOVE* ramen noodles. Like you, however, I have suspended my consumption.

I hate these studies - no facts, no explanation of the physical mechanism, no specifics. As an engineer, this is useless data (if you could call it that) to me, but a warning is a warning nonetheless wherever it comes from and is sometimes concerning.

I would like to know what the reason is for these being "bad". I can only think that it is just carbs and salt, which we know about.

Anyway - same as you. Temporarily suspended

[AutumnElf]

I don't know about the questions you have at the end, but here's what I have heard. I don't think the noodles are bad (unless they're made in a bad factory where they add all random stuff....you don't know exactly! Because it's ramen.) Also someone told me they knew a young man who ate a ton of ramen and their skin turned grey (sign of cancer). I don't care if you can't afford any other food, it's not worth it! Not eating is better than eating ramen daily (and a nice box of oatmeal you have to cook will last one longer...not instant).

One thing I think helps is instead of eating just the ramen is to poach an egg in the water and add some sliced veggies & scallions. And throw out the msg/sodium pack and add your own chili+salt+pepper and put in a bit of sesame oil if you like.

Indonesians make the best ramen by the way called Indomie. There are dry fried ones and ones for soup. If you like ramen you will agree these are the best in the world. But once you tried one with the full packets, next time make your own mix. One packet is full of cloggy hydrogenated oil. If it clumps up in chunky nasty cloudy clumps...what is that going to do inside your blood? So we throw out those unhealthy packets.

It's better for sure to buy some whole grain Japanese udon to make soup with. It's filling, won't mess with your blood sugars, it's healthy, and adding eggs or a little meat and some veggies will make a nourishing meal.

[tmm99]

I read an article about the inventor of ramen when he died and it said he ate ramen (I think the article said Cup Noodles) every day. I just pulled him up on Wiki. It says he ramen almost every day until he died of heart failure at.... the ripe old age of 96. This is not to say the study was bogus just because one guy ate ramen and lived to be 96, but I am just saying, that's a lot of ramen, folks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momofuku_Ando

Quote:

Ando claimed that the secret of his long life was playing golf and eating Chicken ramen almost every day. He was said to have eaten instant ramen until the day he died.

[FIREmenow]

I don't use the packets, BTW. Never have - too salty, too hydrogenated as AutumnElf says.

I usually chop up some veggies and add fresh shrimp, etc.

[AutumnElf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmm99 I read an article about the inventor of ramen when he died and it said he ate ramen (I think the article said Cup Noodles) every day. I just pulled him up on Wiki. It says he ramen almost every day until he died of heart failure at.... the ripe old age of 96. This is not to say the study was bogus just because one guy ate ramen and lived to be 96, but I am just saying, that's a lot of ramen, folks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momofuku_Ando

[emoji3] [emoji3]

[savory]

I like Raman too and my knee jerk reaction was that there is a problem with salt. But, two different posts suggested that Raman noodles are preserved with a nasty chemical:

. Noodles, digestion and chemicals--oh my!

A recent vid clip that journeys to the center of a stomach digesting instant ramen has revived the whole "ramen is sorta, maybe, kinda bad for you" critique. A doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital did a rad new micro-camera trick by recording 32 hours worth of what the inside of the human tummy-tum does while digesting noodles, and here's a hint--it ain't appetizing in the slightest. So spoiler alert -- it took for-ev-er for the noodles to break down, which means that the chemicals used to preserve the ramen were stuck in the stomach longer.

And about the chemical thing: Ramen noodles contain tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), a petroleum industry byproduct used as a food preservative. It's not digestible and has zero nutritional value, and it's used to keep the noodles fresh (as if). But this stuff is bad for you in small doses, worse for you in large ones, and makes the tastiest flavor of ramen noodles, Oriental, seem not quite so scrumptious.

As for the salt, you might find this interesting https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/h...ects.html?_r=0

[imoldernu]

A bit more about the history of Ramen... which likely began in China in the late 19th or early 20th century. The "invention" that came around the late 1950's was the dried, packaged Ramen that we know today. In Japan, since the 1940's, 50's Ramen was considered a delicacy, and continues that way to today., being offered and served in the finest restaurants.

This article gives some general detail, and interestingly, towards the end, talks about other foods, eggs, meat, and other foodstuffs that are often added to add to the nutritive value.

The Strange History of Ramen Noodles | Alternet

Some recipes for the serious ramen lovers.

The Serious Eats Guide to Ramen Styles | Serious Eats

We're hooked!

... as to the health aspects... A WebMD article that discusses the subject. Major concerns would be for salt... (DW and I don't have a problem with sodium)... and... MSG.... where there is an interesting comment about the 1% or 2% who have allergic reactions to this.

Noodle Secrets

One more thing... I couldn't figure out where the "salt" comes from... the noodles?, the manufacturing process? the flavor packet? And... what if the flavor packet were to be replaced with boullion, or chicken broth?

Need a cook's opinion.

[Paracelsus]

I LIVED on ramen noodles when I was in college and had little money for food - twice a day for several years - health was not good at the time, likely because of how I ate and didn't exercise. Gotta admit the big box of ramen noodles were $0.10/noodle package, so it worked for me.

Now I might pick up ramen noodles occasionally and have a package maybe once every two to three weeks - I don't think that has any effect on my health. If the OP only has 5 packages left, a much less frequent consumption rate than 2 a day should be fine. Ramen noodle restaurants are getting very popular now - I might try one and see what they offer nowadays.

[exnavynuke]

I imagine that most people, not eating ramen daily, would probably see very little, if any, increased medical risks.

My personal opinion regarding "medical studies indicate XYZ may be bad for you, quite frankly, can be summed up as "everything is going to kill you or increase your chance of medical problems and most of those will also help your health in some way (moderate drinking good for you, any drinking bad for you for example). As such, I'll generally avoid things that doctors say are "pure bad" in any quantity but I'm not going to avoid things I enjoy just because they might increase my chance for [random medical problem] by some small percentage.

[RobbieB]

I enjoy my occasional "cup o noodles" and don't worry at all about the latest "health studies"

[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davef I like Raman too and my knee jerk reaction was that there is a problem with salt. But, two different posts suggested that Raman noodles are preserved with a nasty chemical: . Noodles, digestion and chemicals--oh my! A recent vid clip that journeys to the center of a stomach digesting instant ramen has revived the whole "ramen is sorta, maybe, kinda bad for you" critique. A doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital did a rad new micro-camera trick by recording 32 hours worth of what the inside of the human tummy-tum does while digesting noodles, and here's a hint--it ain't appetizing in the slightest. So spoiler alert -- it took for-ev-er for the noodles to break down, which means that the chemicals used to preserve the ramen were stuck in the stomach longer. And about the chemical thing: Ramen noodles contain tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), a petroleum industry byproduct used as a food preservative. It's not digestible and has zero nutritional value, and it's used to keep the noodles fresh (as if). But this stuff is bad for you in small doses, worse for you in large ones, and makes the tastiest flavor of ramen noodles, Oriental, seem not quite so scrumptious. As for the salt, you might find this interesting https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/h...ects.html?_r=0

That chemical thing might tip the scale for me as to quitting ramen cold turkey. Still wish there was some study showing a ranking of what's deadlier ramen vs grilled hot dog vs pizza vs um....bacon and others so I can properly pick my poison .

[Fedup]

I enjoy them occasionally, but I always add egg and vegetables. I think I have one packet left in my cupboard. I eat ramen when I don't feel like eating much.

[O2Bfree]

I love ramen, used to eat it for breakfast nearly every morning, with just half of the seasoning packet. Later I got hooked on Chapagetti, which is a Korean style instant noodle with a brown sauce. I don't eat it very often any more though.

I'd go ahead and eat the ramen, like one per week. I don't think we're so fragile that a little bad food every now and then will hurt.

[candrew]

Ramen = *sometimes* food.

Moderation in all things.

[hollowelm]

Not to Ramen!

[braumeister]

Nobody is worried about the dihydrogen monoxide that ramen noodles are normally cooked in?

[Bestwifeever]

Snopes discusses this study here: Harvard Study Reveals Just How Much Damage Instant Noodles Do to Your Body

and calls it "unproven."

Quote:

It is true that a study published in 2014 examined the potential adverse effects of instant noodle consumption in Korea, but the research relied on self-reporting, did not isolate instant noodles as a cause of health problems, and was not necessarily applicable to subjects outside that country.

I'm a little too old for ramen--it came about after our go-to cheap dinners in the early days were frozen pot pies at 10 for $1--and I don't think I've ever had it.

[Blue Collar Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer I have a confession. I like ramen noodles since my very first taste of the stuff. This is even pre-college days. However, heard about studies that ramen noodles, the noodles itself isn't the best thing for you. I have about 5 individual wrappings of noodles left in the cupboard but haven't touched in months since reading about the warning as I'm stuck on that to eat or not to eat question . An article on the ramen noodle warning: https://www.popsugar.com/food/Instan...d-You-43293067 A few notes from that article which may put me in the safe zone if I decide to not kick the ramen habit: 1) Though not explained why, the harmful effects were mostly found in women and not men 2) the article says, in moderation probably okay. I would like to know first, why only impacts women and not men. Second, would a helpful perspective is there was a comparison on how bad a helping of ramen noodles compare to other not so healthy but common foods like July 4th grilled burgers and hot dogs or fried chicken.

my mother has an aide, she swears her brother has eaten this for dinner for 30 years . reminds me of the guy who eats a big mac for over 40 years .

[FUEGO]

I eat it very rarely. Mostly in lo mein form. I mostly cook it then drain the water off and use half a spice pack. A splash of sesame oil and some sesame seeds and it's good lo mein in a few minutes.

What I like more than regular ramen is this shrimp tom yum soup package we buy from Thailand. Comes with 3 spice packs! Might have this 1-2x per month.