Kimchi or supplements in powder form may seem like an anecdotal strategy for weight loss. However, write these nutritionists from the National University Hospital of Pusan (South Korea) – in collaboration with researchers from the Kimchi Functionality Research Group – while more than 16% of the world population, or 900 million people, suffer from obesity, the anti-obesity effects of this food should not be neglected. These effects have already been documented by several research teams.
Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, is effective in reducing body fat
and can constitute a dietary strategy for weight loss.
Regular consumption of kimchi also improves intestinal health
The study analyzes data collected over 13 years from the Korea Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) cohort, representative of the Korean population. Researchers tracked changes in anthropometric measurements, blood biomarkers and the gut microbiome of 55 overweight adults, men and women, with BMIs between 23 and 30 kg/m². Participants consumed 3 kimchi capsules per meal (the equivalent of 60 g of kimchi per day) for 3 months. The kimchi capsules contained kimchi powder produced by freeze-drying fermented cabbage kimchi at 4℃ for 2 weeks. Experience shows that:
- kimchi extract supplementation results in a 2.6% decrease in body fat, vs. a 4.7% increase in body fat in non-supplemented controls;
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regular consumption of kimchi is associated with a 15% reduction in body mass index (BMI);
- a 12% reduction in the incidence of obesity among middle-aged men;
- Consumption of kimchi also increased the beneficial gut bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila and reduced proteobacteria associated with obesity. Researchers point out that Akkermansia muciniphila reduces inflammation and improves markers of metabolic syndrome and obesity through the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Beneficial effects on the intestinal microbiota are therefore also reported.
These beneficial effects of kimchi, reducing body fat, support that regular consumption can be effective in relieving certain markers of obesity via a modulating action on the intestinal microbiota.
Health
