Instant Noodles Increase Risk of Cardiometabolic Syndrome

Consuming instant noodles ups the risk of cardiometabolic syndrome, especially in women, a new study reveals.

The latest Baylor research showed people who consume convenient food products like ramen are at an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic syndrome - a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. This new finding highlights the risk of worldwide dietary habits.

Among Asian populations, the consumption of ramen is relatively high. This study basically focused on South Korea that is known to have the highest per-capita number of instant noodle consumers in the world. Over the recent years, there has been a rise in health problems experienced by the South Koreans. The health problems mainly include heart diseases and increase in weight among adults. These health issues up the mortality risk.

"While instant noodle intake is greater in Asian communities, the association between instant noodle consumption and metabolic syndrome has not been widely studied," primary investigator on the study, Hyun Joon Shin, MD said. "I decided to investigate in order to uncover more distinct connections."

Dr. Shin found that consumption of noodles more than two times per week was linked with cardiometabolic syndrome. The risk was higher in women as compared to men.

The difference exists due to the biological differences like sex hormones and metabolism that exists between the sexes including obesity and metabolic syndrome components. The gender gap also exists due to the varied eating habits that exist between men and women and the variation in the accuracy of food reporting.

They also predicted that a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) could be a factor for the gender differences. This chemical is used for packaging the noodles in Styrofoam containers. Several pieces of research showed how BPA affects the manner in which hormones send signals through the body, mainly estrogen.

Dr. Shin said, "The study represents the importance of understanding the foods we feed our bodies. This research is significant since many people are consuming instant noodles without knowing possible health risks. My hope is that this study can lay a foundation for future research about the health effects of instant noodle consumption."

The finding was documented in Journal of Nutrition.