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TO study published on Tuesday in South Korea found that people who ate moderate amounts of kimchi daily had a lower risk of developing obesity, and that different types of kimchi were associated with avoiding different forms of obesity.
The report, titled “Association between kimchi consumption and obesity based on BMI and abdominal obesity in Korean adults” and published in the medical journal BMJ Open, surveyed more than 115,000 Korean adults aged 40 to 69 and found that Korean men who ate one to three servings of kimchi a day were less likely to develop obesity than those who ate less than one serving a day.
Kimchi, which originated in what is now South Korea, is a popular fermented vegetable dish prepared with salt, chili paste, and various seasonings, such as onion, garlic, and fish sauce.
Researchers from Chung Ang University, the Korea National Cancer Center and the World Kimchi Institute found that Korean men who ate more cabbage kimchi in particular were 10% less likely to develop obesity and abdominal obesity. Both men and women who ate more radish kimchi than average had an 8% and 11% lower risk of abdominal obesity, respectively.
Numerous studies have shown that a diet rich in fermented foods, such as kimchi, has proven health benefits, such as increased microbiome diversity and reduce inflammation. Another study, published in April in the Journal of Ethnic Foods, found that kimchi can be an effective help for the treatment of obesity.
Michelle Jaelin, a registered dietitian practitioner in Ontario, said he was not at all surprised by the study’s conclusion, noting that kimchi’s fiber content is beneficial to health.
“Fiber helps keep you feeling full for longer and also contributes to your daily vegetable intake. The other thing is, because it’s a fermented food, it has certain prebiotics and probiotics that can help with gut health,” Jaelin said.
However, the gender disparity in health benefits could be due to stereotypical differences in consumption habits and attitudes toward diets, Jaelin said.
He added that the way kimchi is served may be an important factor contributing to its health benefits. Equally important to kimchi is what you eat with it. Kimchi is often served as a side dish along with other vegetables and healthy proteins.
The researchers noted in the study that consuming more than three servings of kimchi a day may have the opposite benefit. Participants who ate more than five servings of kimchi a day were more likely to be at risk of obesity. This is because kimchi contains a high level of sodium, Jaelin said.
“If you eat three meals a day, maybe have kimchi on the side, it’s great. It’s about increasing your vegetable intake, which is important,” she said, “but I would watch a little more than that, because it’s also higher in sodium.”
Although the study was conducted in South Korea and included only Korean adults, Jaelin said eating a moderate amount of kimchi could benefit anyone. “I definitely see health benefits for other populations, but it has to be something that you enjoy, that you like to eat,” she said.
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