A group of researchers has raised an alarming alert that a popular dish might be linked to premature death.
The study, which appears in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Ageing, identifies a worrying relationship between this well-loved meal and mortality.
The study authors, affiliated with Yamagata University School of Medical Science in Japan, monitored over 6,500 people, consisting of 2,361 men and 4,385 women, all aged 40 and above.
The participants were divided into four categories based on their consumption frequency of the dish: less than once monthly, one to three times monthly, once or twice weekly, and three or more times weekly.
The dish in question is ramen—a flavorful bowl of noodles in a salty, pork-based broth often garnished with slices of meat, seaweed, and vegetables.
Though it is a culinary staple in Japan, ramen has gained widespread popularity in countries such as the US, UK, and Australia.
Despite its global appeal, experts caution that excessive consumption of ramen could have serious health implications.
The findings from the study were startling.
Approximately a third of participants reported eating ramen weekly, with younger men being the most frequent consumers. The study also noted that these ramen enthusiasts often had a higher tendency to consume alcohol, smoke, and were more likely to be overweight.
During an average follow-up span of four-and-a-half years, 145 participants passed away—100 from cancer and 29 from heart disease. It was particularly concerning that men under 70 who ate ramen three or more times a week had a heightened risk of death.
“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,” researchers explained.
The research also revealed that individuals who not only frequently ate ramen but also consumed alcohol faced a ‘significantly higher risk of death’ compared to those who ate it sparingly.
It wasn’t just the noodles—the risk seemed to escalate when participants consumed at least half of the salty broth.
However, scientists emphasized that their study is observational, meaning it cannot definitively prove that ramen is a direct cause of early death.
The study’s authors concluded: “This study showed that Japanese community residents frequently consume ramen noodles, and high intake is associated with various comorbidities.
“Frequent intake of ramen noodles might be associated with mortality risk in men, aged <70 years and those who consumed ≥50% of the noodle soup and alcohol."