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Since Korean is now one of the most sought-after cuisines in India, people are often looking to stock up on ramen. They are visiting Korean restaurants, trying out tteokbokki, fried chicken, kimbap, and bingsu among other dishes. Not to mention Indians keeping a jar of kimchi in their kitchens with a varied range of pickles on the same shelf.

A downside of adopting a new cuisine is that most people stock up on ready-to-cook packaged food to replicate the taste at home. As a result, they end up consuming a high amount of preservatives, salt, and oil. Among all the options, Buldak Ramen, a South Korean instant noodle brand, is quite famous.

While packaged ramen gets ready in a few minutes, smells divine, and tastes delicious, it is also loaded with a high amount of sodium. Dr Kunal Sood, with double board certification in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine, recently took to Instagram to share why people must rethink relishing it often.

What The Doctor Wants You To Avoid Frequently Eating This Korean Ramen

“If you eat Buldak Ramen often, the part that could affect your health the most probably isn’t what you think,” Dr Sood said, referring to the all-purpose flour used to make the noodles.

He added that it is not even the level of spiciness that is alarming. “It’s what you may be getting in almost every package. Depending on the variety, a single packet of Buldak Ramen can contain over 1,000 mg of sodium, which can account for a significant portion of the recommended daily limit in just one meal.”

If you read the nutrition facts on a packet of Buldak Ramen, you will find that each serving contains more than 1,000 to 1,200 mg of sodium. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) a person’s daily sodium intake should be less than 2,300 mg.

Buldak Ramen contains more than 1,000 mg sodium in one packet. Photo: Amamzon

“Eating it occasionally is very different from making it an everyday habit. Consistently consuming a high-sodium diet can raise blood pressure over time, especially if the rest of your diet is also high in salt,” Dr Sood warned.

He further explained that instant Buldak Ramen is typically made with refined carbohydrates and contains relatively little fibre. The expert shared a few tips to make it more balanced: first, use less of the sauce or seasoning packet; second, add more vegetables and protein sources such as tofu, chicken, eggs, and shrimp.

“Just remember, adding nutritious toppings does not erase all the sodium that’s already there. The goal isn’t to be afraid of Buldak Ramen,” the expert advised.

In the end, he suggested making instant noodles an occasional part of a varied diet rather than an everyday meal.