An Australian woman’s stomach reportedly grew five times its size after the Japanese noodles she ate remained undigested for almost two weeks.
The unnamed patient, aged 61, complained of abdominal pain and vomiting for 10 days at the emergency department of Cabrini Health in southeast Melbourne.
She claimed that she began experiencing the symptoms right after eating a whole packet of Japanese konjac noodles on an empty stomach.
According to Cabrini Health director Dr Michael Ben-Meir, doctors found that her stomach was full of the undigested noodles which had been causing blockages.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter
A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.
Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.
Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.
While the brand of the konjac noodles was not revealed, it was reported that they were bought from a local supermarket in Melbourne.
Dr. Ben-Meir warned that while the noodles themselves are safe, there is a potential public health risk if not cooked properly.
“The noodles were like cellulose, they hadn’t broken down and they had completely blocked her stomach,” Dr. Ben-Meir told the Stonnington Leader (via Yahoo).
“Her stomach had gotten bigger and bigger, it was between five and seven times bigger than what it should have been – your stomach is never meant to be that big.”
Konjac noodles, which are made from potato-like Asian root crop, have recently gained popularity for their apparent weight-loss capabilities.
They are known for having an almost zero carbohydrate count and being largely made up of dietary fiber.
The Department of Health has since reviewed the medical case and ruled that it appeared to be an “isolated incident”.
