Noodles is packed with calories and saturated fat (Photo Credit: iStock)
Love the desi-style noodles made with carrot, beans, cabbage, onion, and eggs? These comforting hakka noodles are easily available at every nook and corner of the city, and we make them at home too. But let's agree, noodles often leave us bloating, indigestion, and constant stomach irritation. Have you ever wondered why? Is it because of the excess oil used while cooking or the semi-raw vegetables that give a crunch to the meal? What if we say the real culprit is your noodle? That's right.
Nutritionist Richa Gangani recently shared a video of how the local packets of noodles are made and warned us about the food's impact on our health. Let's elucidate.
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How Local Noodles Are Made In Factories?
As per a video shared by the expert on her Instagram handle, we could see a person mixing flour with hands and adding to a machine to make the dough. The dough is then transferred to another machine where thin noodles are made. These noodles are then sun-dried in open space, fried, and finally packed to sell in the market.
Watch the process of making noodles in factories:
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Why Are Noodles Termed Unhealthy?
Noodles are usually made using maida, mixed with palm oil, lard, or fat. According to Richa Gangani, these are nothing but saturated fats and calories, which increase toxin levels in your body and slow down metabolism. "This applies to the so-called atta noodles as well," she states.
The expert explains that the atta used in these 'so-called' healthy noodles are not the genuine ones used to make rotis at home. Instead, that is a mix of a small amount of atta with maida. And to your surprise, the Indian law system allows such foods to be called "whole wheat" products, she adds.
Richa Gangani concludes by saying that if you think adding a lot of vegetables is making your bowl of noodles healthier, then that's an absolute myth. Instead, you are feeding the family a lot of "chemicals, hydrogenated oils, and wheat" without any nutrients.
How Noodles Affect Your Digestion?
As mentioned, noodles are packed with calories and saturated fats, which create a layer in your digestive tract, affecting nutrient absorption. As per the National Nutrition Council, it leads to slow digestion, abdominal pain, heartburn, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and more.
So, we suggest, always doing your research well before considering a food item healthy or unhealthy. Eat mindfully, and stay fit!