Love Ramen? Eating This Comfort Food May Increase The Risk Of Early Death, Finds A Study

Once a humble Japanese comfort food, ramen has now become a culinary sensation, but is it safe to eat it frequently? It turns out your favourite bowl of hot ramen may be more harmful than you think.

A 2025 study recently published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging found that consuming ramen frequently not only puts you at health risks, it can also lead to mortality.

Ramen and Mortality Risk: The Study

For the study, researchers used data from 6,725 individuals from the Yamagata Cohort Study and examined the relationship between ramen intake frequency and mortality in the Japanese population. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire about their background factors and ramen consumption frequency in four categories, including:

• less than once a month
• 1–3 times a month
• 1–2 times a week
• more than 3 times a week

After assessing the data for 4.5 years, the researchers found that ramen is consumed frequently, with most participants eating it between 1–3 times a month or 1–2 times a week. People who ate ramen more often were more likely to be men, younger, have a higher BMI, smoke, drink alcohol, and have conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

The researchers also found that frequent ramen consumption could lead to a slightly higher mortality risk, particularly in men under the age of 70 and those who consumed 50% or more of the noodle soup and alcohol.

However, the risk did not reduce in people who ate ramen less than once a month. The researchers also found that people who ate ramen less than once a month had a higher risk of death, possibly because they already had health conditions and were limiting ramen intake.

Understanding The Cause

According to the researchers, ramen and its soup contain high levels of salt. Consuming it frequently can lead to excessive sodium intake, which can further increase your risk of developing conditions like stroke and gastric cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive consumption of salt may increase your blood pressure, which can also lead to heart disease and stroke.

The study warns that frequent ramen intake, especially with soup consumption and alcohol use, may contribute to increased mortality risk in some people.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.