Instant Noodles: Warnings You Must Know!

Instant noodles are the most commonly consumed fast foods worldwide. In Nigeria, there are people who "take daily dose of noodles", largely because its the quick fix and doesn't take time to prepare.

Taking one or two packs here and there may hurt no one, however most people consume lots of instant noodles and this could be potentially dangerous to their health.

Just before we continue, here is a part of the nutritional information of one pack of the most popular brands of noodles in Nigeria:
Energy - 630 calories
Fat - 24g (7g “bad fat”)
Sodium - 1850 mg......and so on. Just check them out yourself.

Its amazing people eat this everyday but don't bother to even read the information. Do you know that most people even consume 2 packs of the particular noodle in a single serving. Well, just read on while we break these things down.

Here are some reasons you should minimize consumption of instant noodles:

1. Minimal Nutritional Value: Instant noodles are highly processed food that lack nutritive value. They are junk food. They’re high in calories, but low in nutrients, fiber, and water. Nutrients, fiber and water are what make us feel satisfied after eating a food. And if we don’t feel satisfied, we don’t know when to stop eating, and so makes us add weight.

Also, these foods promote inflammation, and inflammation is at the root of all modern disease, from cardiovascular disease to autoimmune disorders to allergies to arthritis.

1. Instant Noodles make you add weight, especially BELLY FAT!
   Just look at the nutritional information above of a popular noodle in Nigeria. Aside the fact that it has high level of refined carbohydrate which causes spike in blood sugar after consumption (and consequently degenerative diseases like diabetes on a long run), its very high in calories. Caloric content of just one pack is 630kcal, and we know many people consume 2 packs.

So lets assume you have 2 packs of this, that's already 1260kcal, and if you add an egg that's like 1350kcal. These calories add, and especially bulk up your belly and may cause various health problems. Lets break this down a little further. An average male will need 2500kcal, while an average female need 2000kcal per day. Based on research, if you take in more calories than you burn, you add weight. And if you are overweight, to lose like 0.5 to 1kg per week, you need to consume no more than 1400kcal for women and 1900kcal for men. So imagine you take the 2 packs of that noodle with an egg (amounting to 1350kcal), that will blow your caloric budget and you find it very difficult to lose weight, if you eat such kind of food regularly.

Also remember each pack has 7g saturated fat (bad fat). Two packs has 14 grams, plus that contained in the egg. Taking more than 20g of this kind of fat daily may result in serious health issues later in life.

1. Instant noodles are packed with high amount of sodium (salt). The amount of sodium in this instant noodle is 1850 mg. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of sodium for adults and children over 4 years old is 2,400 mg/day, which can be obtained from just one and half packs of this particular instant noodle. Salt constituent of many other brands are also very high.

Therefore, consumption of instant noodles can easily cause excessive sodium intake as sodium is commonly used in our other daily foods.

Excess consumption of sodium leads to hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.

1. Instant Noodles contain Propylene Glycol which has an anti-freeze property, and prevents the noodles from drying by retaining moisture. There is fear they may contain lager than safe amounts, making consumers prone to diseases. Its usually there, even if you don't see it listed on the label. It has many chemical names.. It is the most common food preservative used.This ingredient is easily absorbed by the body and it accumulates in the kidneys, heart and liver. It can also weaken your immune system.

You really need to limit consumption of instant noodles and replace them with healthy wholesome foods.