Can Eating Ramen Noodles Lead To Kidney Stones? Doctors Explain Dietary Risk Factors And Prevention Tips

Recently, a 24-year-old social media influencer named Lucy Mourad was hospitalized with kidney stones after reportedly eating Buldak noodles – a popular South Korean instant ramen noodles brand – weekly for several months. Mourad told Daily Mail in a recent interview that she had been “eating more and more” of the ramen “over the past few months” when she began experiencing symptoms like back pain and pain in her belly. She also noticed changes in her urine. In a bid to spread awareness, Mourad shared her experience on social media, cautioning people to be more careful about consuming sodium-rich snacks such as instant noodles.  

“Buldak ramen… It’s a huge contributing factor,” she told Daily Mail. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends people eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt per day – or about one teaspoon. According to The Sun, the spice packet of Buldak ramen contains about 1,280 milligrams of salt per serving – about half a person’s daily recommended dose.

Mourad’s experience went viral on social media, with several others sharing their health problems when eating too much ramen. Dr Anthony Youn, MD, FACS, also posted a video on his Instagram handle, explaining “How ramen noodles can lead to kidney stones! And what to do to avoid them!”