What Are Ramen Noodles?
Popular in Japanese culture and cuisine, ramen noodles are a tasty, simple-to-make comfort food that is frequently suggested as a healthy choice. They are affordable, convenient, and satisfying. The noodles contain several nutrients that provide many health benefits. To satisfy your appetite, improve the flavor of the noodles, and enjoy eating them, you can also add a variety of spices, veggies, soup, broth, and other food options (1).
Quick tip: To improve the nutritional value of your ramen noodles, add tofu, eggs, or any other meat to increase the amount of protein in the dish.
Side Effects Of Eating Ramen Noodles During Pregnancy
You might have intense cravings for ramen noodles when you’re pregnant, but eating too much of them can have negative side effects. Here are a few typical negative effects of consuming too many ramen noodles.
The Dark Side of Instant Noodles: What Makes Them Harmful? Related:
Pregnant women are usually advised moderate consumption of noodles due to the following reasons (2).
- Noodles fall under the junk food category because of their high fat and carb content.
- They are very low on vitamins, proteins, fiber and minerals.
- The amount of sodium in noodles is one of the main issues.
- The current U. S. Recommended Dietary Allowance of sodium for adults is 1,500mg/day (3).
- The sodium content of typical cup-style instant noodles is 2700 mg per 100 grams of edible portions.
Point to Think About: Eating a high-salt diet while pregnant may raise the baby’s risk of hypertension and renal disease in later life.
- Pregnancy already involves the risk of high blood pressure. The baby may suffer adverse effects from the increased sodium intake (4)
Johna Burdeos, a registered dietitian from Greater Houston, says, “TBHQ is short tertiary butylhydroquinone. It is an additive used to preserve the shelf life of processed foods, including noodles. Like many food additives, TBHQ has not been extensively studied in humans. However, there is controversy surrounding its use. There are studies showing that TBHQ is linked to the incidence of tumors in rats, vision problems in humans, and effects on human behavior.”
