Instant noodles are a favorite dish of many people. Some even have it every day, but this is not good for your health.
According to nutrition experts, the main ingredient in instant noodles is carbohydrates, while the human body needs 6 nutrients to be healthy: protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and water. If you lack any of these 6 nutrients, your body is prone to fatigue, and prolonged deficiency can lead to disease.
Therefore, eating too much instant noodles and neglecting other foods will deprive your body of necessary nutrients. This can inadvertently lead to various health issues.
Some people should not eat instant noodles
Obese individuals and those with cardiovascular disease
– Instant noodles are fried using unhealthy shortening oil. They contain a considerable amount of saturated fat, which, when entering the bloodstream, can increase the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease by causing artery plaque buildup.
– Instant noodles are also a nutritionally unbalanced food. Their main component is starch, which can be converted into fat and excess energy in your body, which is detrimental to people with obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Individuals with gastric problems
The strong seasoning in instant noodles may lead to a diminished sense of taste in those who consume them regularly. For individuals with gastric problems, instant noodles can be particularly harmful as they put extra pressure on the stomach during digestion.
Instant noodles are difficult to digest. Even after 2 hours of consuming them, the noodles are still intact in your stomach. Not only does this impede digestion and nutrient absorption, but it also allows harmful substances within the noodles to persist in the digestive system, affecting your health.
Individuals with kidney disease
Kidney patients need to restrict their sodium intake, but instant noodles contain excessive amounts of salt. It is not just the seasoning packet, but also the salt used in the noodles, which amounts to about one-third of the recommended daily salt intake.
With such high sodium levels, instant noodles are definitely not good for individuals with kidney disease.
Children
Instant noodles are appealing to children due to their aroma and various seasonings. Children often develop a liking for instant noodles and may even become addicted to them. However, there are several reasons why young children should not eat instant noodles:
Lack of nutrition: Instant noodles do not meet the high nutritional demands of growing children. Instead, they provide excessive empty calories.
Difficult to digest: The lengthy digestion process of noodles in the stomach makes children bloated and reduces their appetite, resulting in decreased nutrient absorption.
Harmful ingredients: Fried instant noodles have a high level of oxidation, and the oil used in the seasoning packet is also fried and oxidized. Oxidation is a factor in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Additionally, instant noodles contain a lot of salt, MSG, various seasonings, and additives, which can overload a child’s body.
Instant noodles are detrimental to young children due to their low nutritional value, excessive empty calories, and potential health risks.
How many servings of instant noodles per week is not harmful to health?
According to Dr. Tran Luu Ngoc Phuong (from Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital), “To ensure safety, this packaged product should be consumed a maximum of 1-2 times per week. Too much of anything is not good. Therefore, regularly consuming excessive amounts of instant noodles will be detrimental to your health.”
If you consume instant noodles more than twice a week for an extended period of time, you will face numerous unpredictable health risks.
Tips for consuming instant noodles without affecting your health:
When eating instant noodles, it is recommended to add meat and vegetables to increase fiber, minerals, and vitamins. This will help balance the fat content, allowing your body to absorb less saturated fat. Additionally, it is advisable to discard the included oil sachet, as it is not beneficial for your body.
Furthermore, the salt packet in instant noodles contains a large amount of salt, so it is advisable to use only half of it to moderate your sodium intake.