YAMAGATA, Japan — A study conducted in Yamagata Prefecture has found that eating ramen three or more times a week may increase the risk of death by approximately 1.52 times.
The research was carried out jointly by Yamagata University and Yamagata Prefectural Yonezawa University of Nutrition Sciences. It analyzed health data from 6,725 residents aged 40 and above, collected as part of the long-term Yamagata Cohort Study, which tracked participants from 2009 to 2023.
Participants were divided into four groups based on ramen consumption frequency:
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Less than once a month
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Once to three times a month
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Once or twice a week
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Three or more times a week
Those in the highest-frequency group (“three or more times a week”) showed a 1.52 times greater mortality risk compared to the “once or twice a week” group. However, researchers noted that the results were not statistically significant enough to conclude a definite danger.
The study also suggested that lifestyle habits common among frequent ramen eaters—such as high salt intake, smoking, and alcohol consumption—may contribute to the elevated risk. Further analysis indicated that men, individuals under 70, those who drank more than half of the soup, and frequent drinkers faced higher mortality risks.
Yamagata City has consistently ranked first in Japan for household spending on ramen for three consecutive years, according to the 2024 Family Income and Expenditure Survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The full study was published in the August 4, 2024, issue of The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.
Source – Mainichi Japan