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Even today, Maggi is a comfort food for many. But, is Maggi healthy? Let's explore 7 dangerous side effects that will tell you why you should not eat Maggi every now and then.
By SOMA
Posted on | Last Updated
For Indians, Maggi is not just a food, it’s an overwhelming emotion. Whether it is lunchtime or midnight, we can eat Maggi anytime. It’s filling, tasty, satisfying, and you can fill the emotions with any adjective.
Earlier Maggi was made of refined wheat flour only. But, the scenario has changed a bit now. Nestle has started making Atta Maggi Noodles for the health-conscious youth now, with dried veggies inside.
But, the question remains, is Maggi healthy? Is Maggi safe to eat? Does eating Maggi have any side effects? Let’s find out the dark truths behind this delicious meal.
Well! If Maggi was made the way our desi chowmeins are made, then it could have never been a problem. But, the issue is that Maggi noodles are deep-fried, it is not as raw as those chowmein noodles.
Regarding the basic ingredients, Maggi noodles are made primarily with refined wheat flour, vegetable oil, and salt. Let’s keep aside the thickeners, acidity regulators, and humectants. The primary ingredients do not offer any nutritional value at all.
The vegetable oil used by Nestle is Palm Oil which has its saga. The oil comes cheap and is not good for our health.
An adult needs around 200-500 milligrams of Sodium every day to maintain an active lifestyle.
As per the information given on the Maggi website, Per serving of Maggi 2-Minute noodles contains 820.6mg of Sodium !!!!
With this high Sodium intake of one serve, you might have to finish the other meals of that day without salt. Well! It goes without saying that we don’t do that.
We eat Maggi noodles along with some seasoning, sauce, and a poached egg or an omelette or some fries.
And, overall the meal becomes very high in Sodium at one go which is indeed detrimental to our health.
These days, we often see products where No Trans Fat or Zero Trans Fat are written in bold on the packet.
These fats are bad for our health as it reduces the good cholesterol level in our body. Consumption of Trans Fat on a regular basis can cause heart disease, diabetes, or more such detrimental issues.
In the food industry, Trans Fats are produced by adding Hydrogen to vegetable oil (usually, Palm Oil is used). Liquid Oil turns solid at normal room temperature due to this procedure.
And, the hydrogenated oil comes at a much cheaper price compared to conventional vegetable oils. It also increases the shelf life of a food product.
This is the reason why noodle makers love adding Trans Fat to their products. Trans Fat is another reason why Maggi is not healthy for our body.
Well! It’s the presence of Trans Fat, Sugar, and High Sodium that makes Maggi quite an unhealthy snack. If you are eager to live a healthy life then these noodles are not the right food.
The Trans Fats do not break down easily as compared to the saturated fatty acids. As a result, bad cholesterol level goes up which in turn causes obesity and nutrition deficit.
Dried vegetables are added in some Maggi Noodles variants. The dehydrated veggies look great. Maggi lovers often say that they do not eat refined wheat flour only, some nutrition also goes inside. Well! This is where the conflict happens.
Dehydrated vegetables are prepared in such a way that the moisture content is zero. Along with water content, the healthy vitamins and enzymes go away too.
In fact, in canned foods or commercially prepared food items, salt/harmful preservatives are also added. All these are bad for your health. The nutrition is missing in this snack; another reason why Maggi should not be eaten regularly.
The citric acid in Maggi can be a reason for heartburn for many. In my case, I have often observed this thing. Either acidity or gastritis, any of the two will knock my body post-eating a bowl of tasty Maggi Noodles.
Citric acid produces more stomach juice when taken inside. Which in turn causes acid reflux. That’s why too much Maggi eating can cause acute abdominal problems like bloating, acidity, etc.
Maggi is irresistible. I am saying this because there was a time when me and my mother used to have a bowl of Maggi instant noodles thrice a week in the evening without fail.
It is addictive and the reason is the presence of MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). Many state governments in India conducted studies in 2014 to know the relationship between MSG and Maggi. It has been found that MSG is a cause why Maggi is addictive and tasty.
Maggi is yummy, delicious, and quite addictive. You can enjoy a bowl of Maggi but once in a while. Regularly eating Maggi can make you obese and can impact your lifestyle.
Hence, enjoy this processed food sometimes but do not try to replace the traditional healthy snacks or foods. Often people eat Maggi like a meal during lunch or dinner hours which is dangerous.
That’s all for today! If you find this article helpful, share it with those Maggi-lovers in your life. Take care; celebrate life.