Tejal Somvanshi
A new study from Japan has found that eating ramen three or more times a week may increase the risk of early death, particularly in men under 70 years old. Researchers from Yamagata Prefecture tracked 6,725 adults aged 40 at baseline for about 4.5 years. The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, divided participants into four groups based on how often they ate ramen: less than once a month, one to three times per month, once or twice per week, and three or more times weekly.
During the follow-up period, 145 deaths occurred among participants – 100 from cancer and 29 from heart disease. Those who consumed ramen three or more times weekly showed approximately 1.5 times higher risk of death compared to moderate consumers.
Interestingly, the study found that people who ate ramen just once or twice a week had the lowest mortality risk of all groups. Those who rarely ate ramen (less than once monthly) also showed slightly higher risk, but researchers explained this was likely because this group included people with existing health conditions who were already avoiding ramen under medical advice.
“Ramen noodles and their soup contain high salt content; therefore, frequent intake can lead to high amounts of sodium, which may increase the risk of salt-related diseases, such as stroke and gastric cancer,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
The study identified two factors that significantly worsened the health risks: drinking most of the broth and combining ramen with alcohol.
Participants who consumed at least half of the soup had higher death risk, likely due to the concentrated sodium. Even more concerning, people who both drank alcohol regularly and ate ramen more than three times weekly faced approximately three times higher mortality risk compared to moderate ramen eaters. Professor Tsuneo Konta emphasized the importance of balanced meals and avoiding the salty soup
Dr. Miho Suzuki suggested adding vegetables and limiting broth intake to reduce sodium.
The researchers emphasized that their study was observational and cannot prove that ramen directly causes early death. They noted that frequent ramen consumers tended to be younger men who were more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, be overweight, and have conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
These characteristics suggest that lifestyle factors beyond just ramen consumption may contribute to the higher mortality risk observed.
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The findings have particular relevance globally, including in countries like Australia where instant noodle consumption is rising amid cost-of-living pressures. Australian instant noodle sales reached 450 million servings in 2022, up from 400 million in 2018.
Health experts point to several concerning nutritional aspects of ramen. Most instant varieties are flash-fried during processing, which increases fat content. Some instant ramen varieties contain over half the recommended daily sodium intake per serving.
For those who enjoy ramen but want to reduce potential health risks, experts suggest several practical approaches:
- Limit consumption to once or twice weekly
- Avoid drinking most of the salty broth
- Skip alcohol on days when eating ramen
- Add vegetables and protein to improve nutritional balance
- Consider using only part of the seasoning packet to reduce sodium
- Choose air-dried noodle varieties when available, which have less fat than flash-fried options
The study adds to previous research from South Korea linking frequent instant noodle consumption to increased metabolic syndrome risk, particularly in women.
Despite the concerns, researchers stressed there’s no need to completely eliminate ramen. The key finding suggests moderation is important – enjoying ramen once or twice weekly appears to be the sweet spot for minimizing health risks while still savoring this popular dish.
