Ramen lovers can ease the blood sugar burden of a single bowl simply by adding plenty of green onion (daepa).
According to the Korean Diabetes Association's "Diabetes Fact Sheet 2024" released on the 19th, as of 2022, one in seven adults aged 30 and older (14.8%, or approximately 5.33 million people) had diabetes. Including those in the pre-diabetes stage, the figure rises to four in ten adults aged 30 and older (41.4%, or about 14 million people), bringing the combined total close to 20 million.
Younger generations are not in a safe zone either. Among people in their 20s and 30s, 310,000 have diabetes and 3 million are in the pre-diabetes stage. Notably, 37% of men in their 30s are classified as pre-diabetic.
Meanwhile, South Koreans consumed an average of 79.2 packs of instant ramen per person in 2024, ranking second in the world, according to the World Instant Noodles Association. That works out to roughly one bowl every five days.
Ramen is a high-glycemic-index (GI) food that causes a rapid spike in blood sugar shortly after consumption. Its main ingredient is refined wheat flour, and most products on the market are deep-fried noodles, which add calories and saturated fat. The more frequently ramen is consumed, the harder it becomes to manage obesity and diabetes.
Even within a single ramen meal, reducing the amount of noodles and adding vegetables and protein can flatten the post-meal blood sugar curve. Cutting the soup powder by about half to lower sodium intake is another factor worth considering.
Adding green onion to ramen offers more than just a flavor boost. Allicin, which is abundant in green onion, is known to help lower blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels. It also promotes blood circulation, helping to reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular disease.
Dietary fiber and beta-carotene in green onion slow the rise in post-meal blood sugar and aid antioxidant activity. However, allicin is volatile when exposed to air, so it is more effective to slice the green onion just before cooking rather than preparing it in advance.
Nutrition experts recommend focusing on frequency and consumption habits rather than eliminating ramen from the diet entirely. Small adjustments—reducing the amount of noodles, adding ingredients such as green onion, onion, mushrooms, and eggs, and cutting broth intake by more than half—can make a long-term difference in managing blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight.
