Up to 3 daily servings of kimchi may reduce the risk of obesity in men
A study published Tuesday in South Korea found that people who eat moderate amounts of kimchi daily are less likely to develop obesity, as different types of kimchi are linked to warding off 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 years and found that Korean men Those who ate one to three servings of kimchi per day were less likely to be obese than those who ate less than one serving per day.
Kimchi, which originated in what is now South Korea, is a popular fermented vegetarian dish prepared with salt, chili paste, and various seasonings, such as onions, 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 the most cabbage kimchi in particular had a 10% lower chance of developing obesity and abdominal obesity. Both men and women who ate more radish kimchi than average had a lower risk of abdominal obesity by 8% and 11%, respectively.
Several studies have shown that a diet rich in fermented foods, such as kimchi, has demonstrated health benefits, such as increasing microbiome diversity and reducing inflammation. Another study, published in April in the Journal of Ethnic Foods, found that kimchi could be an effective way to treat obesity.
Michelle Gillin, a registered dietitian in Ontario, said she was not at all surprised by the study’s conclusion, noting that the fiber content in kimchi is beneficial for health.
“Fiber helps keep you full longer, and it also contributes to eating vegetables daily. The other thing is that it contains certain probiotics, because it’s a fermented food, and it can help with gut health,” said Gillen.
However, Gaylen said the gender disparity in health benefits could be due to stereotypical differences in consumption habits and attitudes toward diets.
She added that how kimchi is served may be a major factor in its health benefits. Equally important to kimchi is what you eat it with. Kimchi is often served as a side dish alongside other healthy vegetables and proteins.
The researchers noted in the study that eating more than three servings of kimchi per day could have the opposite benefit. Participants who ate more than five servings of kimchi per day were at greater risk of obesity. That’s because kimchi is high in sodium, Jaylin said.
“If you’re eating three meals a day — maybe having kimchi on the side — that’s great. It increases your vegetable intake, which is important, but more than that I would watch it a little bit, because it’s also higher in sodium,” she said.
Although the study was conducted in South Korea and included only Korean adults, Jaelin said that eating a moderate amount of kimchi can benefit anyone. “I definitely see health benefits for a variety of other demographic groups, but it has to be something that you enjoy, that you like to eat,” she said.
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