Instant noodles not a healthy option
Print Edition
Instant noodles, despite being tasty, delicious and time-saving, have long been considered as “junk food,” as they are believed to have little nutrition and lead to dyspepsia, and even cancer.
However, Dr Bian Dongsheng, from Shanghai’s Ruijin Hospital Clinic Nutrition Branch, dismissed the rumor, calling the statement, “sensational misreadings.” According to Bian, instant noodles, though unhealthy, are safe to eat. Between 2011 and 2013, US media maker Stefani Bardin worked with gastroenterologist Dr Braden Kuo on a project called “M2A: The Fantastic Voyage,” which used smart pills to videotape how a human’s stomach digests food. Two volunteers participated, each having a different set of foods — one with whole food, such as handmade noodles, while the other had processed food, such as instant noodles.
The experiment later went viral on the Internet and was widely used as evidence for the harm that instant noodles can do to us. Some even claimed that instant noodles still remained undigested after 32 hours, while handmade noodles were completely digested.
Yet, the videos only recorded the digestion process for eight hours, and as Bardin stated in one video, both noodles were basically digested after two hours, except that instant noodles left a few traces.
Instant noodles are mainly made with wheat flour, refined palm oil, starch, salt and food additives, and the main nutrients are carbohydrates, protein and fat.
“Normally, they can be digested in about two hours,” Bian reiterated.
The major concern about instant noodles is whether there are unnecessary additives added to the mix.
According to the nutritionist, China has strict rules on the use of food additives and its dosage. As long as produced by certified companies, the food additives in instant noodles are within safety range, and normal consumption will cause no harm to human body.
Bian also noted that, contrary to common perception, instant noodles actually contain no food preservatives. Most of the micro-bacteria are killed while the bread of the noodles are deep-fried. With little moisture, it is difficult for bacteria to thrive.
Starch foods like instant noodles are prone to produce acrylamide, a carcinogen, under elevated temperature cooking. However, Bian said there’s not sufficient epidemiological proof to link any kinds of tumor with acrylamide in food. In the lists of carcinogens announced by WHO and China’s FDA, acrylamide is categorized as the second-rated carcinogen, ruling out its direct link with cancer.
Data shows the value of acrylamide in instant noodles produced in China is about 0.0005-0.00289 microgram per gram, lower than that in potato crisps and oil-fried pancakes. Therefore, the possibility of deep-fried starched food causing cancer is relatively low, Bian said.
Though safe, Bian warned that instant noodles are by no means nutritious, as they are in high calorie, fat and salt content, yet low in dietary fiber and protein.
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