You’ve seen the TikToks. Maybe you’ve even felt that specific, soul-crushing burn in your stomach after chasing a 2x Spicy Samyang bowl with a glass of milk. It’s a trend that won’t die. People film themselves crying over noodles, and then, inevitably, the comments section fills up with warnings about ulcers, stomach holes, and the big one: cancer. It makes you wonder. Does Buldak cause cancer, or are we just collectively terrified of anything that tastes that good and hurts that much?
It’s a fair question.
The fear isn’t just coming out of thin air. In 2024, Denmark actually pulled some Buldak flavors off the shelves. They weren't worried about long-term carcinogens, though. They were worried about kids having heart palpitations because the capsaicin levels were so high it was basically like eating pepper spray. But the "cancer" rumor persists because of how our bodies react to extreme spice. If it feels like it’s eroding your insides, it’s easy to assume it’s doing permanent genetic damage.
What’s Actually Inside a Packet of Buldak?
Let's look at the back of the bag. You’ve got wheat flour, palm oil, and potato starch making up the noodles. Then there’s the sauce. It’s a heavy mix of soy sauce, sugar, yeast extract, and a massive amount of artificial chicken flavor and chili powder.
Some people point to the additives. You’ll see things like potassium carbonate or guar gum. These sound "chemical," but they’re standard in almost every processed food on the planet. There is zero evidence that the thickeners or preservatives used in Samyang noodles are carcinogenic at the levels humans consume them.
The real "villain" for most people is the capsaicin. That’s the compound that makes chili peppers hot.
Research on capsaicin is actually really weird. It’s contradictory. Some studies, like those published in the journal Nutrients, suggest capsaicin might actually have anti-tumor properties. It can trigger "apoptosis"—which is basically cell suicide—in certain cancer cells. But then you have other studies suggesting that extremely high, chronic consumption of chili might irritate the lining of the esophagus and stomach enough to increase risk.
It’s about the dose. Everything is about the dose.
The Inflammation Argument
Chronic inflammation is the bridge between "eating spicy food" and "health risks."
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When you eat Buldak, your body reacts like it’s under attack. Your heart rate climbs. You sweat. Your gut speeds up—which is why the "Buldak bathroom trip" is a meme in itself. If you are eating these noodles every single day, you are putting your digestive tract through a constant cycle of irritation and repair.
This is where the concern about does Buldak cause cancer usually finds some footing.
Dr. Stephen Freedland, a urologist and professor at Cedars-Sinai, has noted in various contexts that inflammation is a driver for many types of cancer. If you have a pre-existing condition like GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) or gastritis, and you're pounding 3x Spicy noodles constantly, you’re essentially pouring gasoline on a fire. Constant irritation can lead to cell changes over decades.
But is the noodle itself the cause? No. It’s the behavior.
Processing, Sodium, and the Real Risks
If we’re being honest, the spice isn’t even the biggest health threat in the bowl. It's the salt.
One serving of Buldak can have upwards of 1,700mg of sodium. That is nearly your entire recommended daily limit in one sitting. High-sodium diets are definitively linked to stomach cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund has highlighted for years that salt-preserved foods and high-salt diets can damage the stomach lining and make it more susceptible to H. pylori infections, which are a primary cause of gastric cancer.
Then there’s the "Ultra-Processed" factor.
Buldak is a textbook Ultra-Processed Food (UPF). A massive study published in The BMJ involving over 100,000 participants found that a 10% increase in the proportion of UPFs in the diet was associated with a 12% increase in the risk of overall cancer. It's not just one ingredient. It’s the lack of fiber, the high fat, the salt, and the lack of whole-food nutrients.
If you eat Buldak as a treat? You're fine. If it’s your primary food group? That’s where the data starts to get scary.
The "Hole in the Stomach" Myth
You’ve probably heard someone say Buldak burnt a hole in their stomach.
Scientifically, that’s not really how it works. Capsaicin doesn't cause chemical burns like acid does. It tricks your pain receptors (TRPV1) into thinking you’re being burned. Your stomach acid is way more corrosive than anything in that red sauce packet.
However, if you already have an ulcer, the spice will make you feel like you're dying. It doesn't cause the ulcer—usually bacteria or NSAID overuse does that—but it certainly makes it worse. People often mistake this intense pain for "getting cancer" or "organ failure," but it’s usually just a very angry digestive system trying to move a literal irritant out of the body as fast as possible.
Why the Internet Thinks Buldak is Toxic
The viral nature of the "Fire Noodle Challenge" changed how we look at this food. It stopped being a quick lunch and became a dare.
When people eat five packs at once for a video, they get sick. They vomit. They experience "cap cramps." When people see someone in physical distress from a food, the brain naturally jumps to: "That must be toxic."
Add to this the fact that Samyang (the company that makes Buldak) is a Korean brand. Sometimes, there is a weird xenophobic undertone to food scares where Western consumers are more suspicious of ingredients labeled in another language, even though the FDA and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) regulate these imports strictly.
The Denmark ban really fueled the fire, too. But again, Denmark didn't ban them because of cancer. They banned them because they didn't want teenagers going into anaphylactic-like shock or suffering from acute poisoning from the sheer volume of capsaicin.
Context Matters: How Much is Too Much?
Let's talk about frequency.
If you are a healthy person with no history of stomach issues, having a bowl of Buldak once a week isn't going to give you cancer. There is simply no clinical evidence to support that. Your body is incredibly good at processing occasional hits of sodium and spice.
The danger lies in the "instant noodle lifestyle." In South Korea, where instant noodle consumption is among the highest in the world, researchers have looked closely at the links between ramen and metabolic syndrome. A study in the Journal of Nutrition showed that women who ate instant noodles more than twice a week had a significantly higher risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to heart disease and diabetes—not necessarily cancer, but not great either.
Actionable Steps for the Spice-Obsessed
You don't have to throw away your stash, but you should probably stop treating it like a basic meal. Here is how to eat it without wrecking your long-term health.
- Dilute the Sauce: You don't actually have to use the whole packet. Using half the sauce still gives you the flavor and plenty of heat, but cuts the sodium and the irritant load significantly.
- Buffer with Fiber: Never eat Buldak on an empty stomach. If you add bok choy, broccoli, or even just a side of spinach, the fiber slows down the digestion and protects your stomach lining from the concentrated hit of spice.
- Add Protein: Throw in an egg or some tofu. It turns a bowl of refined carbs and salt into something that won't spike your insulin quite as hard.
- Hydrate Differently: Don't just chug water—it spreads the capsaicin oils around. Drink milk or eat yogurt. The casein in dairy binds with the capsaicin and actually neutralizes the "burn" on a molecular level, reducing the trauma to your throat and esophagus.
- Listen to the "Burn": If you get a stomach ache every time you eat it, that is your body telling you that your mucosal lining is thinning or irritated. Stop eating it for a month. Let your gut heal.
The bottom line is that does Buldak cause cancer isn't a "yes" or "no" answer—it's a "how you eat it" answer. The noodles aren't a carcinogen, but a diet high in ultra-processed, high-sodium foods definitely increases your risk profile. Enjoy the heat, but maybe don't make it your entire personality. Your stomach lining will thank you in twenty years.
To keep your gut healthy while still enjoying spicy foods, focus on diversifying your diet with fermented foods like kimchi or kefir. These help rebuild the microbiome that high-sodium processed foods tend to strip away. Balance is boring, but it’s the only thing that actually works.