Dark sides of INSTANT Noodles?

 

Noodles - the best invention of the Japanese in the 20th century by Momofuku Andō of Nissin Foods, Japan in 1958 that subsequently took the world by storm. As of 2010, it is estimated 95 billion servings of instant noodles is recorded worldwide. China took the top slot with 42 billion packages, (44% of world consumption) followed by Indonesia 14 billion, Japan 5.3 billion, Vietnam 4.8 billion and USA 4 billion.

Come as dried or precooked noodles, they are often sold with packets of flavoring including seasoning oil. Dried noodles are easily cooked or soaked in boiling water, while pre-cooked noodles can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet. In 1971, Nissin introduced the Cup Noodles, with instant noodles in a waterproof polystyrene cup and boiling water just pour over it. A further innovation added dried vegetables to the cup, creating an instant soup dish.

This easily available, easy to prepare food gained popularity especially amongst youngsters, students and workers given their affordable prices.  However, it is often criticized as an unhealthy or junk food given the high carbohydrate and low fiber content, also devoid of vitamins and minerals.  To offset its inadequacy, addition of fresh chopped greens and healthy lean meat or fish can make a more complete dish.

Like most commercially processed foods, instant noodles are laden with much artificial ingredients and chemicals that we should be careful with and only indulge occasionally. Other aspects to consider -

+  Presence of high amounts of saturated fats (which are bad for your cholesterol and heart) and trans fat. Studies done showed women who ate instant noodles more than twice a week were 68% more likely to develop metabolic syndrome -- a group of symptoms such as central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, elevated fasting triglycerides, and low levels of HDL cholesterol.  Having three or more of the symptoms increases your risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

+  MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) is a chemical additive used as a flavor enhancer in instant noodles and most commercially prepared foods such as soups, sauces, gravies, flavoring, spice blends, canned and frozen meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, dressings, ketchup, mayonnaise, soy sauce, sausages and snacks. Being an excitotoxin, high consumption of MSG can possibly affect learning ability, cause neurological disorders to the point of damage such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and seizures, body damage to varying degrees such as allergies, rashes, asthma attacks and headaches. Over a prolonged period death can also occur due to heavy toxication.

+  There are controversies as to whether instant noodles are coated with wax the same ingredient found in styrofoam containers.  Manufacturers claimed that to prevent noodle strands from sticking together after slitting or cutting the noodle dough, steaming and then frying in normal cooking oil is used only. More straining removes some of the gluten (which is bad) from the processed wheat flour, not wax as popularly believed. (the ordinary Chinese yellow noodles in an uncooked state is oiled to prevent from sticking together). If wax is present, it can be seen floating in the water when hot water is added to the noodles.

+  The Codex Standards also allow the use of 10,000 mg/kg of the chemical propylene glycol, an anti-freeze ingredient as humectants (help to retain moisture to prevent noodles from drying) in instant noodles. This substance is readily absorbed and accumulates in the heart, liver and kidneys causing abnormalities and damage. It is also capable of weakening the immune system.

+  In any fried foods, there is the possible presence of oxidation products resulting from poor maintenance of the oil. If the cooking oil is not maintained at the proper temperature or changed as often as necessary, this toxic waste suspected of posing various health risks can be present in the foods. Proper production standards from established manufacturers minimize this risk.

To resolve this problem, TBHQ, a byproduct of the petroleum industry, is added to prevent oxidation of fats and oils, thereby extending the shelf life of processed foods. This ingredient is commonly used in processed foods of all kinds (including McDonald’s chicken nuggets, Kellogg’s CHEEZ-IT crackers, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Wheat Thins crackers, Teddy Grahams, Red Baron frozen pizza, Taco Bell beans etc. It can also be found in varnishes, lacquers, and pesticide products, as well as cosmetics and perfumes to reduce the evaporation rate and improve stability.

+  More worrying is the high amounts of sodium in a typical instant noodle pack.  In extreme cases, some brands may contain over 3,000 mg of sodium per package.  The recommended daily intake is not more than 2000 mg/5g of sodium to the equivalent of a teaspoon of salt.

+  The most recent concerns dioxin and other hormone-like substances that could theoretically be extracted from the packaging and glues used to pack the instant noodles. It was reasoned that harmful substances could seep into the soup as hot water was added to cup style instant noodles. After a series of studies were conducted, various organizations requested changes in the packaging to address these concerns.

In a first-of-its-kind experiment, Dr. Braden Kuo of Massachusetts General Hospital used a pill-sized camera to see what happens inside your stomach and digestive tract after you eat fast cooked noodles. Even after two hours, the noodles together with the above chemical additives remain undigested. It is believed that the body takes about two days to clear up the toxin. You can imagine what the exposure time may do to your health if one takes it regularly.

In June 2012, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) found Benzopyrene (a cancer-causing substance) in six brands of noodles made by Nong Shim Company Ltd. Although the KFDA said the amounts were minuscule and not harmful, Nong Shim did identify particular batches of noodles with a problem, prompting a recall by October 2012.”

Beware of any of these symptoms manifesting upon eating instant noodles:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Delirium
• Sense of suffocation
• Collapse

Conclusion

In modern days, is just not possible to avoid all the commercially prepared foods out of sheer convenience and cost factor. Occasionally eating a package of instant noodles obviously does not kill you, but when you make a habit of substituting convenience foods for real food, it is only a matter of time before health problems will likely develop.

Intake of carbohydrates should be limited and noodle is not known to be a good choice. Thus, any occasional treat is acceptable with healthy foods added on to create a balanced diet.


Eating right is a choice – having variety, moderation and balance are crucial for healthy living.