Who didn't eat ramen noodles multiple times a week during college? Unfortuantely, the habit could come with some serious health consequences: A new study from The Journal of Nutrition shows that consumption of instant noodles—precooked noodle-based meals you make by adding boiling water or heating in the microwave before eating—may increase the risk of a scary condition called cardiometabolic syndrome, which in turn can lead to heart disease, diabetes, or stroke.

Since Asian populations eat high quantities of instant noodles, Baylor University researchers looked at dietary information from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV from 2007 to 2009. They identified two major eating patterns: the "traditional dietary pattern" (TP), high in rice, fish, veggies, fruit, and potatoes; and the "meat and fast-food pattern" (MP), high in meat, soda, fried food, and convenience foods like instant noodles and ramen. Not surprisingly, the MP was associated with higher obesity rates and bad cholesterol levels, while the TP was associated with better blood-pressure readings and a lower risk of obesity—but neither showed a clear link to the risk of developing cardiometabolic syndrome.

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However, when researchers examined the numbers for instant noodle consumption in particular, they found that consuming the noodles at least twice per week was associated with a 68 percent higher incidence of metabolic syndrome among women, even after adjusting for other factors like sodium intake, estrogen use, and waist circumference. Consuming noodles once a week was associated with a 26 percent higher prevalence of the condition. This relationship didn't exist men.

Researchers think the increased risk is likely the result of the high calories, refined carbs, saturated fat, and sodium content typically found in instant noodles. Women in particular might be susceptible to these negative health effects because of hormones that affect women disproportionately and metabolic differences. For instance, the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), found in the styrofoam containers frequently used to package instant noodles, messes with the way hormones signal messages within the body, particularly estrogen.

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The study does have limitations, though. For instance, the numbers from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey didn't take serving size into account, only the number of times a person consumed a given food. That said, researchers hope the study will remind people to be more mindful of their food choices. It’s important to remember many packaged foods, like instant noodles, are more like fast food—nutritionally speaking—than a home-cooked meal.

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Jenna Birch
Jenna Birch is a Michigan-based freelance health and lifestyle journalist, covering topics ranging from general health and nutrition to beauty and psychology. She has contributed to many online outlets, such as Yahoo, SELF, Shape, Women’s Health and Allure. Her work has also appeared in magazines like Marie Claire, Real Simple and O.