Women who eat instant noodles more than 2 times a week study: metabolic syndrome is more common and thin people should also pay attention

Instant noodles are an emergency choice for many people when they come home late after working overtime or have cravings late at night; but you should also pay attention to the frequency of eating. Fan Yaxuan, a weight loss specialist at Kaohsiung Churi Clinic, pointed out that a Korean study found that metabolic syndrome is more common in women who eat instant noodles more than two times a week. Even if they are young, thin, or have a high level of activity, they should not be ignored.

Fan Yaxuan said that this study published in "The Journal of Nutrition" analyzed the data of 10,711 adults aged 19 to 64 in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In addition to examining the overall dietary pattern, it also independently evaluated the frequency of instant noodles intake and adjusted for factors such as age, income, smoking, drinking, exercise and total calories.

The study found that women who ate instant noodles more than twice a week were associated with metabolic syndrome at about 1.68 times compared with those who ate less than once a month. After excluding those who already had diabetes or were taking blood pressure and blood lipid-lowering drugs, the association still existed at about 1.83 times. No statistically significant association was observed for men.

It is worth noting that similar trends were also observed in women who were younger, had a lower BMI, or were more active. Among them, if women with a BMI lower than the median eat instant noodles more than twice a week, the correlation is 5.22 times higher than those of the same ethnic group who eat instant noodles less than once a month. However, this is a small subgroup analysis and cannot be directly interpreted to mean that thinner people are at higher risk.

Fan Yaxuan pointed out that it is still unclear why the association is more obvious in women. The study authors speculate that physiological differences, eating habits or other factors may be involved. This observational study can only show an association and cannot directly conclude that eating instant noodles is the cause of metabolic syndrome.

She reminded that most instant noodles contain a lot of refined starch, saturated fat and sodium. If they frequently replace normal meals for a long time, it can easily lead to nutritional imbalance and may also increase the burden of blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar management. If you want to reduce your burden, you can follow 4 principles:

●Reduce the frequency of consumption: Avoid treating instant noodles as a fixed meal or late-night snack. Those who already have the habit of frequent consumption can start by reducing the frequency of consumption.

●Supply protein and vegetables: Add eggs, tofu or lean meat, with vegetables and mushrooms to supplement protein and dietary fiber, making the whole meal more nutritious.

●Reduce the amount of seasoning powder and drink less soup: add half a packet of seasoning powder first, and then adjust according to taste. You can also use onions, garlic, pepper, etc. to add flavor. If you want to reduce fat intake, choose non-fried dough and cook it with clear soup.

●Regularly track metabolic indicators: Those who have a thick waistline, abnormal blood pressure, blood sugar or blood lipids should track the values ​​regularly and adjust their overall diet and lifestyle habits.

Fan Yaxuan emphasized that there is no need to be overly nervous about eating a bowl of instant noodles occasionally. What should be paid attention to is the long-term frequency of consumption and the overall diet combination. If your waist circumference gradually increases, or if your blood pressure, blood lipids, or fasting blood sugar are abnormal during a health checkup, you should seek help from a doctor or nutritionist as soon as possible.