KOREASCHOLAR

Ramyen and Korean noodles (guksu) are popular foods in Korea and around the world. Since 1998, rice consumption in Korea has gradually decreased, whereas consumption of noodles has continuously increased. The purpose of this study is to assess the consumption of ramyen and Korean noodles of Koreans, using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) of 2007. Korean adults (>20) were selected to examine the associations between noodle consumption and food and nutrient intake and health status. SAS 9.1 and SUDAAN 9.1 were used for the data analysis. 10.3% of Korean adults consumed ramyen, and 15.4% consumed Korean noodles. The consumption of ramyen and Korean noodles were higher in men than in women, in lunch than in other meals, and in the lowest income quartile than the highest quartile. Ramyen and Korean noodle consumer groups consumed more grain products, seasonings, and oils than the nonconsumer group. The noodle group showed significantly lower systolic blood pressure than the non-consumer group. The noodle groups showed lower rates of hypertension and metabolic syndrome than the non-consumer group. From these results, we conclude that ramyen and Korean noodles may have positive health effects. More studies on the association between noodles and the health of Koreans and those in other countries should be done in the future.

• 정진은(안산1대학 식품영양학과) | Chin Eun Chung
• 이경원(이화여자대학교 식품영양학과) | Kyung Won Lee
• 조미숙(이화여자대학교 식품영양학과) | Mi Sook Cho Corresponding author