Food is one of many factors that affect our life. Carefully choosing balanced diet and eating beneficial foods can help us prolong our lives and significantly improve our health. However, most commonly people choose their diet on the basis of convenience preferring quick meals that suit our busy lifestyles but cause a huge harm to our health with such possible consequences as developing a cancer, stroke, obesity, diabetes or heart attack. Hence, instant noodles are an example of junk foods invented in China and reintroduced to the world market by Japan and Korea that became increasing popular especially amongst students suiting their low budgets and not requiring any cooking skills. They were proved to have a tremendously negative impact on people’s health due to containing high levels of salt, carbohydrates, fat, and unsafe chemicals. Thus, the government in cooperation with Department of Health and Human Services of the USA must ban instant noodles from being sold in the country in order to protect people’s health and decrease the risk of developing a cancer or other dangerous diseases that are directly connected to consuming this product.
Health Issues Connected to the Consumption of Instant Noodles
After being introduced to the American market in 1970, instant noodles became an integral part of our diets due to being extremely cheap, convenient, and filling. The culture of quick meals that are so popular in the country was another factor that contributed to the product being accepted so well by the nation. However, people start to understand that all that glitters is not gold after finding out about the research made on the health effect of instant noodles otherwise known as ramen. According to Lie, who explores the topic in his article “Ramen Noodles: Are Oodles Ok?”, the main danger of ramen is connected to the packets of flavor enhancer that go with them while the noodles themselves are quite harmless. The main ingredient called MSG that stands for monosodium glutamate is known for triggering an allergic reaction in some people causing burning sensations, headache, face and chest flushing or different kinds of pain.
Furthermore, flavor packs are high in sodium and fat. One serving of noodles contains up to 17% and 34% of the recommended daily value of fat and sodium respectively (Lie 2000). Moreover, instant noodles are high in carbohydrates and various food additives, but do not provide enough elements like vitamins, fiber and minerals that are beneficial for people’s health (The Consumers Association of Penang 2013). Many people do not realize how many calories they consume with a little packet of instant noodles which contributes to one of the serious health problems of the modern world – obesity. Such high amounts of fat and sodium are dangerous not only for people who try watching their diets in order to maintain their body weight, but also for people who take certain medications or suffer from high blood pressure or congestive heart failure. According to The Consumers Association of Penang, multiple researches discussed in the article “Stay Away From Instant Noodles to Keep Healthy”revealed that the ingredients added to instant noodles might cause heart disease, hypertension, kidney damage or stroke.
Another negative effect that instant noodles have on people’s health is connected to the chemicals used to manufacture ramen and containers for them. There are dangerous chemicals such as dioxin and other substances similar to hormones found in plastic containers used for the cup noodles. Propylene glycol, a chemical that stops noodles from drying, has a negative impact on internal organs such as the heart, kidneys, and liver, and makes the immune system weaker. Moreover, a layer of wax is put on instant noodles in order to prevent them from sticking together. Mentioned elements mix into the soup as a result of hot water added into a plastic cup. Hence, people do not only suffer from the ingredients of the noodles and the seasoning, but also from the ingredients that were not even meant to be consumed.
However, instant noodles have far more dangerous consequences than causing an allergic reaction or contributing to obesity problems. The consumption of instant noodles has been linked to the development of cancer after a cancerogenic ingredient benzopyrene has been found in their content. The government of South Korea, which is the main exporter of instant noodles, has reacted to the issue by immediately recalling Nongshim noodles from the market. Korean Food and Drug Administration reported that a hydrocarbon called benzopyrene, which is also present in cigarette smoke and coal tar, increases the risk of developing skin, lung and bladder cancer. The amount of instant noodles available in the shops combined with the price, which is particularly appealing to the population groups such as students or people with low income, encourage people to consume them more and more. Thus, the issue remains unsolved which requires the government and other governmental institutions to take action.
The governments of some countries like China have understood the danger of instant noodles that led to some of them banning the product. For instance, China has recalled Korean noodles from sale demanding the explanation from South Korea. Thus, other countries should use the example of China and make sure that their nations are protected from the danger. The organizations responsible for health care systems must forbid importing instant noodles taking into account their negative effect on people’s health. The governments must also monitor big stores so that they remove instant noodles from the shelves to make sure that no one can buy them anymore. The government of the USA has made the first steps towards eliminating the consumption of instant noodles by the society. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mentions and supports the initiative of Bread for the City’s Food Pantry in seeing the danger of instant noodles and other quick meals and replacing them by healthy foods (2013). Obviously, not enough has been made by the government in order to explain to the Americans the danger of this product. The government must focus its efforts on completely removing the product from the American market to assure that one of the causes of people’s poor health has been eliminated.
Conclusion
Thus, the truth that was revealed about instant noodles requires an immediate action from the government of the USA. Instant noodles must be removed from the food chain and completely banned from being sold in the country. The negative health effect of this product cannot be argued or underestimated since it was proved to contain dangerous ingredients that can be lethal for people starting from easy forms such as allergic reactions and finishing at a risk of developing a cancer.
The government and health care organizations such as the Department of Health and Human Services are responsible for the nation’s safety and its protection from a huge risk of developing severe diseases that are connected to consuming instant noodles. The American nation’s health is deteriorating every year with more and more cases of people having a heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, etc. It cannot carry on like this because the well-being of the society is in danger due to such causes as foods that damage people’s health.