American actor Sebastian Stan is the star of the controversial new film, The Apprentice, where he portrays former US President Donald Trump and the film focuses on Trump's younger years as a real estate tycoon in the New York City. To play the role, Sebastian called up a nutritionist to tweak his diet and gain weight to play Trump.

Ramen for Gains?

Both Sebastian and director Ali Abbasi were concerned that the actor didn't look like Trump in some ways but were trying to steer clear of makeup and prosthetics that would be used to aid that transformation. In a recent interview, Sebastian shared, “The movie kept losing finance and it would start and then stop and start and stop so I never thought it was gonna happen and I was getting ready for Marvel and then the strike happened and then suddenly we were going and we try these prosthetics tests and they were really really bad, terrible. Then the director was like, ‘we have a month and a half, how much weight can you gain?’”

Sebastian revealed, “I called this nutritionist and they were like, “You just need to start drinking beer now”. He doesn't drink and I was like, “I'm not gonna drink” so then I said, “What else can you do?” He said, “You got to get ramen and put soy sauce in it like every day and you'll get a good good bloat in your face.””

Is Ramen the Secret to a Healthy Diet?

Whether you are a K-drama fan or not, the savoury ramen is an irresistible comfort food for many but health experts often warn against this health risk. The ramen diet with soy sauce was an unusual advice by the nutritionist, since Sebastian quickly wanted to get his face bloated and didn't want to use alcohol to gain weight.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Prachi Chandra, Lead Clinical Nutritionist at Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru, revealed, “Ramen is a very popular Asian cuisine and is termed the most comfortable and all-time food for today’s generation. It is an instant food that contains carbohydrates (maltodextrin and refined wheat flour), unhealthy fats and MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). This MSG and its additives help to give a savory taste. A single serving of ramen (43g) is made of wheat flour which provides 380 to 400 calories.”

She explained, “This wheat-based noodle, along with flour contains salt and kansui which gives the noodle a springy and elastic texture. Refined carbohydrates present in both ramen and in its seasoning packets spike the blood sugar level leading to an increase in insulin levels that promote lipogenesis leading to weight gain. The ramen also has added palm oil as one of main ingredients, due to high fat content of 15g it becomes a rich of calories. Refined carbs and palm oil are linked with increase in visceral fats (fat deposition around the internal body organs).”

Prachi Chandra elaborated, “Since ramen has a poor fiber content, it does not encourage fullness and makes you feel hungry again after sometime. Due to poor satiety value people often eat larger meals/quantity. High intake of refined carbohydrates and fats also causes bloating Persons diagnosed with celiac disease or those with gluten intolerance should avoid eating ramen or noodles. A single serving of Ramen gives you approximate 67g of carbohydrates with is 30% of our daily carbohydrate intake. Soy sauce added in seasoning is very high in sodium content is very high 1740mg (which is approximately half a teaspoon) per serving. Sodium consumption in high amounts causes water retention, which will make you look puffier and heavier around your face and abdomen.”

Read Also: Fasting and women's health: Karwa Chauth fasting tips to avoid hormonal disruptions