Let us shout it out clearly at the very beginning of this article that we all love instant noodles. They are tasty, spicy, filling and yes, take only minimum time and effort to be ready to eat. So, this is no doubt enough reason for any of us to just love the instant noodles, but do you have any idea that no matter what it reads on the label of the product, instant noodles are actually extremely unhealthy for our body? Yes, you are reading it right. We think instant noodles are a healthy alternative to fast foods but in reality they are just as bad as them and may be even worst at times. Here are the reasons why you should avoid the instant noodles as much as possible to stay healthy,
They might fill your stomach but will not fill your nutritional needs
You are hungry, you boiled up a packet of instant noodles, gulped it down and your stomach is full. Yes, instant noodles are really great at filling your stomach but the problem is they provide nothing as nutrition to the body. By eating instant noodles you consume nothing more than a bunch of carbohydrate that comes without any vitamins, healthy minerals or fiber. In a word, instant noodle fills your hunger but keeps your body hungry hence eating them is never healthy for your body.
Comes loaded with bad fats
Being a highly processed food, the instant noodles come with saturated fatty acids or trans-fats that are not good for your heart or your body. Trans-fats not only add up to the total fat content of the body but also easily deposit on the arteries leading to buildup and loss of elasticity of the arteries which can work as a major cause of high blood pressure and even heart attack. So, staying away from the trans-fat loaded instant noodles is certainly a good idea.
Instant noodles are high in sodium
Sodium is needed by the body but excess of sodium can have serious negative impact. High level of sodium in diet is a major cause of high blood pressure and heart problems. Moreover, sodium is directly related with the water retention of the body. So, if you are eating more instant noodles it will not only raise your blood pressure but will also give rise to problems like bloating and will make you look fat.
Instant noodles supply bisphenol to your body
Bisphenol is a chemical compound that can give rise to problems like high blood pressure, high blood sugar and excess abdominal fat. These conditions are often bunched together as metabolic syndrome. The bisphenol in instant noodles come from the Styrofoam packaging of the noodles and can be really harmful for the whole metabolic process of the body. This chemical has also been found to interfere with the different female hormones in the body.
They are also a source of MSG
Monosodium Glutamate is a chemical compound which is very commonly used in most of the spicy Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisines including the instant noodles. MSG has been permitted by FDA as a flavor enhancing additive for foods, but the long term effects of consumption of MSG on the body is highly debatable. Consuming limited amount of it for minimum time might not be harmful for the body but consumption of an increased level of MSG for longer duration can be a cause of many health concerns and problems including cancer of the digestive tract and others. MSG is also responsible for obesity.
Instant noodles are hard to digest
Studies have shown that digesting the instant noodles is not a very simple task for your body. It takes some special and extra effort for the digestive system to break them down. They can be easily a reason of digestive problems and stomach disorders like constipation, bloating and indigestion. So, for the best digestive health it is only wise to stay away from the instant noodles.
It hampers absorption of nutrients in children
It is very important that children below the age of 5 do not consume instant noodles. These noodles do not supply any nutrition to the body and moreover hinders the natural nutrition absorption process as well in children below the age of 5. The negative effects of the instant noodles in hindering the absorption of nutrients reduces with age, but it can never be good for the body.
They are added with propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is another chemical that is very commonly used in instant noodles in order to ensure that the noodles do not get sticky as soon as they start to turn cold. While it feels really nice to have non-sticky noodles, the propylene glycol added to the noodles to serve the purpose is easily stored in the body and can give rise to a number of health issues starting from liver and kidney disorders to cancer and heart ailments.
Instant noodles are filled with preservatives
Have you ever checked the shelf life of the instant noodles? Even after being a maida based product they have amazingly high shelf life. You cannot store maida even in the best container for months, but you can store instant noodles more than a year. The secret of this long shelf life of the instant noodles lies in the fact that they contain a high amount of preservatives which ensure that the noodles are not spoiled by bacteria, yeast or fungus. These preservatives are highly harmful for the body and can be a cause of cancer.
Not recommended for pregnant women
The chemicals present in the instant noodles can easily harm the unborn fetus and hence it is important that pregnant women do not consume the instant noodles. These chemicals actually hamper the ability of the fetus to absorb nutrients, which can hinder the growth of the fetus leading to miscarriage particularly during the early months of pregnancy.
A reason of obesity
Obesity amongst children is a growing concern of doctors across the world. Eating more of these instant noodles can be directly pointed as one of the primary reasons of obesity amongst children. Instant noodles are filled with carbohydrate and unhealthy fats that can be a direct cause of obesity when eaten regularly over a long period of time. The high sodium content of instant noodles also increases water retention in the body which can generally make one look more flab. MSG is also a known cause of obesity and being hard to digest it generally adds to the stomach fat.
