My two children both like to eat instant noodles but I heard that eating too much can cause kidney stones. How accurate is that eating instant noodles causes nephrolithiasis, please explain to me, AloBacsi?
* Reader Nguyen Thanh Tu – Thu Duc District, HCM City
Eating too much instant noodles causes nephrolithiasis – This information bewilders us as we are students, every morning we take one Hao Hao pack for breakfast. Is Hao Hao noodle safe? Now I wonder too much, should I stop or what? We are the fans of Hao Hao instant noodles but we are also afraid of nephrolithiasis. Please give me the advice, AloBacsi. Our room of more than 10 men is waiting for your news and advice, doctors. Sincerely thanks.
* Tran Bich Thuy – Da Nang
I have two sons, both love to eat instant noodles. How accurate is that eating instant noodles causes nephrolithiasis, please explain to me, AloBacsi? I wonder too much, so my family is switching to Korean noodles to make sure. But Korean noodles are quite a “stomachache for the wallet”. Among Vietnamese instant noodles, are any brands safe?
Which instant noodles should we eat for safety, doctor? Wish for your reply. Thank you.
* Nguyen Thi Thu Hong – 11 District, HCM City
I am so in love with instant noodles. However, a bulk of information on social networks, Facebook, saying “100% of instant noodles contain oxalic acid, may cause nephrolithiasis” also made me wonder.
This is what I read on the internet: According to The Association of Public Health of HCM City, instant noodle products are made from flour (containing natural oxalic acid). But not all the oxalic acid-rich food such as instant noodles will cause nephrolithiasis as the cause of nephrolithiasis also depends largely on each person’s body type. Nonetheless, the Association of Public Health of HCM City also suggested not to eat too much instant noodles.
So how much is just enough eating? How much eating is safe for the health and is not considered too much? Please advise me, Alobacsi. Thank you very much!
For the questions of many readers, AloBacsi has discussed with the doctors and food specialists and would like to explain you as follows:
1. Currently, there is much information on the media claiming that instant noodles cause nephrolithiasis. Following that, the cause of nephrolithiasis is considered to be instant noodles containing high amount of Oxalic Acid. The sources said: The combination of Oxalic Acid with Calcium forms Calcium Oxalate, which may cause precipitation settling down to form stones in the urinary organs, liver, bile, and pancreas. Therefore, doctors usually recommend patients with nephrolithiasis to avoid or to reduce food that contains high content of Oxalic Acid.
In fact, the information that instant noodles contain high amount of Oxalic acid is the inaccurate information.
Because there are two forms of Oxalic Acid: Natural form and artificial form. Natural Oxalic Acid is the organic acid available in many types of vegetable, fruits such as parsley, carrot, broccoli, tea, flour… and artificial Oxalic Acid is used in the industry, for bleaching of wood, cleansing of houseware, treatment of waste water.
Some natural food containing Oxalic Acid:
Accordingly, we can see that the content of Oxalic Acid inside instant noodles comes from the ingredients used for production which may contain natural Oxalic Acid (flour, vegetable, fruits) so any products using this source of ingredients may be tested as containing Oxalic Acid.
For instant noodle manufacturers, they completely do not add Oxalic Acid during production process. Moreover, Oxalic Acid is also not in the list of permitted additives for use in instant noodles by the Ministry of Health.
The content of Oxalic Acid inside flour – main ingredient of instant noodles – is far much lower than other popular food.
According to the speech of Doctor Du Thi Ngoc Thu – External Department of Urology, Cho Ray Hospital, there is a low connection between natural oxalic acid and kidney stones. “Most of the patients with nephrolithiasis have calcium oxalate in their stones (more than 80%). Among that, the eating habit, protein-rich food, pure sugar, sodium-rich, oxalic acid-rich, fiber-low food… increase the chance of getting nephrolithiasis. Not enough drinking also increases the calcium concentration in the urine. It should be noted that for normal people, vegetable, fruits and cereals containing natural oxalic acid in normal amount are hard to have toxic effects or cause nephrolithiasis”.
Particularly for people with history of nephrolithiasis, they need to have professional advice from doctors to know how to use proper and healthy food.
2. Which instant noodles are safe to eat?
Currently the instant noodle products of big manufacturers when circulating in the market must guarantee and meet the standards of food safety as regulated by the Ministry of Health.Therefore, consumers can be completely assured to choose instant noodle products with reputed brands from big manufacturers. As for choosing Korean or Vietnamese noodles, it depends on the appetite and food preferences of each person.
Source: AloBacsi.com (Free health consultation information gate)
