Korean food kimchi helped protect against obesityFitness and health09:00 | 01 February 2024

Previous scientific studies have already shown that Lactobacillus brevis and L. plantarum isolated from kimchi prevent obesity. In a new study, a team of scientists uncovered whether regular kimchi consumption is associated with a reduced likelihood of developing general and/or abdominal obesity. The latter is considered the most harmful to health.

In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 115,726 participants (36,756 men; 78,970 women; average age 51) from the Health Examinations (HEXA) study.

Participants who ate five or more servings of kimchi were heavier, had larger waist sizes, and were more likely to be obese than those who ate less than one serving per day. However, after controlling for other factors, eating three servings of kimchi per day was found to be associated with an 11% reduction in the prevalence of obesity compared to eating less than one serving.

In men, three or more servings of kimchi per day was associated with a 10% reduction in the prevalence of obesity and a 10% reduction in abdominal obesity. This happens when you compare them to someone who eats less than one serving per day.

As for women, the prevalence of obesity decreased by 8% when they consumed two to three servings of kimchi per day. If they ate one or two servings of this food per day, the prevalence of abdominal obesity decreased by 6%.

Consuming lower-than-average amounts of kakkakdugi (daikon radish kimchi) was associated with an approximately 9% reduction in the prevalence of obesity in both genders. If men consumed 25 grams of kimchi and women consumed 11 grams of kimchi per day, their chances of developing abdominal obesity decreased by 8% and 11%, respectively, compared to when they did not eat this food at all.

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