Eating instant ramen every day can lead to liver damage
Along with increasing your risk for metabolic syndrome, weight gain, and heart failure, everyones favorite noodles can also lead to liver damage. MDLinx lists instant ramen as one of seven foods to “avoid at all costs,” in part due to some of its questionable ingredients — especially preservatives — that your liver must struggle to break down. Other unhealthy foods that you should plan to avoid include processed deli meats, donuts, movie theater popcorn, raw oysters, sugar-sweetened fruit juices, and reduced fat peanut butter.
Over time, behaviors and health conditions that damage the liver can lead to cirrhosis (scarring), which can cause liver failure (via Mayo Clinic). Although noticeable symptoms do not always develop, possible signs of liver disease include yellowish eyes and skin (jaundice), abdominal pain and swelling, swollen legs and ankles, itchiness, dark urine, pale stool, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and chronic fatigue. If you are concerned about the health of your liver, talk to your doctor. And dont eat instant ramen every day.
You are eating daily sodium bombs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that eating too much sodium can be harmful to your health even though it is regarded as an essential nutrient. First and foremost, too much salt raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of hypertension and serious health problems like heart attacks and strokes. We have bad news if you believe that putting your salt shaker away will fix the issue. Sodium is frequently found in unexpected places; you might be surprised to hear that processed and restaurant foods make up 70% of the total amount of sodium consumed.
The average amount of sodium eaten by adults in the U.S. is 3,400 mg per day. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends limiting your sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day, or the equivalent of one teaspoon of table salt. But heres the thing: Eating instant ramen (and other highly processed foods) makes this challenging. According to Healthline, a single package of instant ramen contains 1,760 mg of sodium, which equates to over 75% of the FDAs recommended daily limit.
We recognize that instant ramen provides that delicious, soul-nourishing, and oh-so-salty experience, and we would hate to take it away from you. However, one tactic to help control your sodium intake is to avoid consuming instant ramen every day. Limiting processed foods and meals from restaurants can help lower blood pressure and prevent heart attacks and strokes, according to the CDC.
Vision disturbances and headaches may be triggered
Have you ever noticed eye trouble after slurping down your daily bowl of instant ramen? Although a less common side effect, this may be due to consumption of tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), ramens main preservative (per Cooking Light). According to Healthline, a number of cases of vision disturbances due to TBHQ have been reported to the National Library of Medicine.
Healthline also shares that some individuals who eat salty processed foods (such as instant ramen) may experience headaches. This is likely because high amounts of sodium increase blood pressure, and elevated blood pressure, which in turn can cause headaches and migraines. Another common ingredient in instant ramen, monosodium glutamate (MSG), is also a well-known migraine trigger (via Verywell Health). If you notice vision changes or headaches after eating instant ramen, this is probably a sign that you should avoid it. Hopefully, cutting back on highly processed foods will alleviate your symptoms. We also recommend talking to your doctor to rule out potentially serious underlying conditions.
