Ramen May Kill You… But We’ll Probably Keep Eating It Anyway 🍜💀

Bad news for noodle lovers: a new study out of Japan suggests that eating ramen three or more times a week could increase your risk of an early death. Yes, the same comforting bowl of salty, slurpy goodness we turn to on lazy Sundays and broke paycheques might be plotting against us.

What the Study Found

Researchers tracked more than 6,500 people aged 40 and over a span of about 4.5 years. Participants were sorted into groups based on how often they ate ramen: less than once a month, once or twice a week, or three-plus times a week.

Here’s what they discovered:

• Those who ate ramen more frequently tended to be younger men who also smoked, drank, and carried extra weight.
  
• Out of all participants, 145 people died during the study period — 100 from cancer and 29 from heart disease.
  
• Men under 70 who slurped ramen three or more times a week had a significantly higher risk of early death compared to casual noodle eaters.

Yikes. Suddenly, that late-night instant noodle run doesn’t feel so innocent.

Why Ramen Gets a Bad Rap

The issue comes down to salt — and a lot of it. Ramen broth is notoriously sodium-heavy, which can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Researchers also noted that people who actually drank most of the broth (instead of just eating the noodles) faced even higher risks.

And here’s the kicker: men who combined ramen overload with heavy drinking were at the highest risk of all. (So maybe don’t chase your Friday-night pints with three bowls of tonkotsu.)

RELATED: Caffeinated Ramen Noodles…

But Before You Panic…

The study is observational, which means it doesn’t prove that ramen directly causes early death. It just shows there’s a strong link between frequent ramen consumption and higher mortality in men under 70. So if you’re enjoying it once in a while, you’re probably fine — especially if you skip slurping every last drop of broth.

Ramen in Canada

Exact stats for Canada aren’t clear, but we do know the North American instant ramen market hit USD $1.2 billion in 2023, and it’s still growing. In other words, ramen is not going anywhere — even if it comes with a salty side of health warnings.

The Takeaway

Ramen may not be the angelic comfort food we want it to be, but are we really going to stop eating it? Doubtful. The key is moderation: maybe save the ramen binges for once in a while, and balance it out with a salad or two. (Or at least pretend to.)

Because at the end of the day, life without noodles? Now that’s a risk we’re not ready to take.