OVERVIEW
Killer instant noodles are everywhere in the market today.
Instant noodles are common food that many people eat nowadays. They are cheap and easy to prepare. This make noodles pass as lunch, dinner or breakfast meals. It is often eaten among students who are living in hostels or without their parents like college students. Bachelors and spinsters are also high consumers of instant noodles. Many killer instant noodles are linked to a good number of health problems.
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT ON INSTANT NOODLES
Laboratory experiment by Dr. Braden Kuo of Massachusetts General Hospital revealed a lot of drawbacks to ramen instant noodles. It is now known that many killer instant noodles are contributory to health problems . He used a pill-sized camera to see what happens inside the digestive tract after eating Ramen Noodles. (Ramen noodles is one of the commonest type of instant noodles). It is a killer instant noodle.
DR. BRADEN’S FINDINGS
Dr Branden found out the followings:
? Ramen noodles do not digest for more than two hours while home-made noodles digest easily.
? Nausea and vomiting occurred on 90% of those who ate Ramen noodles.
? Ringing in the ear (Tinnitus) was recorded on those who ate ramen noodles.
? Delirium was also noticed on the people that ate ramen noodles.
? Most importantly, there was feeling of suffocation among 80% of those that ate ramen noodles.
? Besides, over 50% of those that ate ramen were having feelingsof exhaustion.
DEDUCTIONS FROM THE EXPERIMENT
Because of longer time in digestion, ramen noodles put a lot of stress on the digestive system. Therefore, the digestive system is forced to overwork. This interferes with blood sugar level and insulin secretion. Moreover, since ramen noodles stays longer in the digestive system, it reduces nutrients absorption. Since ramen noodles is a highly processed food, it has no fibre which is good for health. Nevertheless, ramen noodles contain many toxic preservatives including Tertiary Butyl Hydroquinone (TBHQ).
COMPONENTS OF INSTANT NOODLES
Besides having TBHQ as preservative, noodles generally have a lot of sodium. It also contain wheat flour, palm oil. The most common ingredients the flavoring powder are salt, monosodium glutamate, seasoning, and sugar. Others include Benzopyrene and glutamic acid.
EFFECTS ON HEALTH
TBHQ is a byproduct of the petroleum industry. It is often listed as an “antioxidant”. Moreover it is a synthetic chemical with antioxidant properties and never a natural antioxidant. It prevents oxidation of fats and oils, thereby prolonging the shelf life of processed food.
FAO and WHO determined that TBHQ is safe for human consumption at levels of 0 to 0.5 mg/kg per body weight. However, Codex commission set the maximum allowable limits between 100 to 400 mg/kg, depending on the food it’s added to. For example, Chewing gum is allowed to contain high levels of TBHQ. But In the United States, Food and Drug Administration requires that TBHQ must not exceed 0.02 percent of its oil and fat content. There is no known safe limit, but it is good to avoid it.
According to the Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, exposure to just one gram of TBHQ can cause:
- Liver problems
- Positive mutation
- Biochemical changes
- Reproductive problems
- Cancer
Killer instant noodles 
Killer instant noodles
METABOLIC SYNDROME
According to Journal of Nutrition, women who consumed more instant noodles had a greater risk of metabolic syndrome. Women who who eat less noodles do not experience metabolic syndrome. However, overall diet or exercise habits does not stop this.
Women who ate instant noodles more than twice a week were 68 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome. The symptoms include: central obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high fasting triglycerides, and low levels of HDL cholesterol.
Read also: The Medicinal value or Eggplant
DIABETES
Three or more of the above symptoms increases risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS
Beside, instant noodle consumers had a significantly lower intake of important nutrients. Protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, vitamin A, niacin, and vitamin C are absorbed in traces.Consumers of instant noodles also had less intake of energy, high unhealthy fats and sodium. One pack of ramen noodles contains 2,700 milligrams of sodium.
BENZOPYRENE
This is one of the known cancer-causing agents. In June 2012, the Korea Food And Drug Administration (KFDA) found it in six brands of instant noodles. However, KFDA insisted that the killer instant noodles be withdrawn from circulation in October 2012.
MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG)
This is an excitotoxin. (Excitotoxin over stimulates the nerves to the point of damage or death). It is one of the leading causes of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease etc. Many instant noodles contain MSG. It contains Glutamic Acid. Besides, MSG causes obesity as well. Its presence in many killer instant noodles is a no no to consume instant noodles.
Source: Dr. Mercola.(healthy-holistic-living.com).
