Ramen noodles are another food that I believe every college student has consumed. Sadly, these instant noodles are extremely cheap (19¢ per package), and require only water, a microwave, and a few minutes to make. However inexpensive and easy, these noodles are terrible for the body.
First, let us think about the ingredients. The seemingly innocent noodles are actually deep fried. That doesn't bode well for any health aspect of the food. This is basically taking enriched flour (the non-whole grain variety), which is already stripped of pretty much any fiber or nutritional value, and dropping it in oil. The seasoning packet is almost all pure salt. How do I know? I looked at the ingredients list on the package. Ingredient number one is salt. Followed by the phrase 'contains less than 1% of...'
Next, we can look at the nutrition information on the package. One package of ramen (technically two servings) contains 14g of fat (half of which is saturated fat). That means one bowl of ramen has one fifth of your daily fat intake (remember, this is just noodles and broth). Ramen also contains almost 1800mg of sodium - 75% of your daily intake. Definitely not good. Lastly, there are 52g of carbohydrates (hey, they are noodles), however, only 2g of this are dietary fiber. In total, this constitutes 400 calories for the bowl of ramen noodles, 150 of which come from fat. Ew.
All of these factors combine into a higher risk for weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Instead of buying ramen deathbricks, try getting some whole grain pasta, and jarred pasta sauce. It might cost slightly more per serving, but it will keep you going in the long run. More on pasta soon.
Showing posts with label hypertension. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hypertension. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
In the News: Cereal Helps Prevent Hypertension
According to a report my the American Heart Association (AHA), having a bowl of cereal each morning could cut your risk of hypertension by up to 20%. They added that whole grain varieties of cereal were much healthier and reduced hypertension risk more than non-whole grain varieties.
"Compared with men who never ate cereal, those who averaged one serving per week had a 7% lower risk of hypertension. Those who consumed cereal more frequently had even greater reductions in risk: Two to six weekly servings were associated with an 11% lower risk, and one or more servings per day were associated with a 19% lower risk." (Health.com)About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has hypertension, a major risk factor for kidney problems, heart attacks, and strokes. The AHA estimates that hypertension costs the country an estimated $90 billion in health-care and other costs each year.
Labels:
cereal,
health care,
heart,
heart disease,
hypertension,
in the news,
kidney,
news,
stroke
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