Quartz reports that a study has found a link between ramen in Japan to strokes and heart attacks.
The study, published in Nutrition Journal, found that sodium-heavy ramen could be linked to a higher risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Researchers from Jichi Medical University, who were behind the study, compared various cuisine types from different regions and studied their health data.
Four categories were presented in the study: ramen, fast food, French or Italian and udon or soba. Age and sex were also recorded with relation to stroke and heart attack mortality rates in each prefecture in 2017.
The study found that ramen-prominent areas were also areas with more stroke deaths in Japan than other areas. Tohoku in Kanto and Kyushu regions had higher stroke mortality than other areas.
“The prevalence of ramen restaurants in Japanese prefectures has a significant correlation with the stroke mortality rate,” the study concluded.
However, the researchers admitted that they were unable to obtain data on stroke victims’ diets. Additionally, the researchers did not consider instant or homemade ramen. Furthermore, different ramen dishes have different levels of soy, tonkotshu broth ingredients, miso and salt.
Side dishes offered by ramen restaurants were also not considered in the study. “These side dishes may include confounding nutritional factors,” the report read.
