A group of volunteers aged 20-65, with body types ranging from slightly overweight to obese, significantly reduced body fat in just 12 weeks without losing weight.
According to a study recently published in the Journal of Functional Foods, the famous Korean dish kimchi has potential applications as a natural “wonder drug” for reducing fat and the risk of developing dangerous diseases in overweight and obese individuals.
This effect is attributed to positive changes in the gut microbiota.
Kimchi may help reduce excess fat and blood fat in overweight and obese individuals – (Image: NEWS MEDICAL).
In recent years, obesity has been flagged by health agencies worldwide as a modern epidemic encompassing various diseases, with a high risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The causes of obesity include a combination of factors such as genetics, diet, gut bacteria composition, and exercise habits.
Among these, diet is considered the primary factor, and it can also influence the gut microbiota.
Thus, kimchi—which has become almost universally popular—holds promise for managing obesity due to its high probiotic content, according to authors from Pusan National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University, and the World Kimchi Institute (South Korea).
In the new study, the authors noted that kimchi contains napa cabbage, garlic, ginger, and red pepper, which have been shown to improve metabolic processes.
The benefits are further enhanced by fermentation, which increases the levels of bioactive compounds in these ingredients, adding probiotics to the body and thereby improving gut health and boosting populations of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila.
Kimchi shows promise in managing obesity due to high probiotic content. (Image: Internet).
Ninety volunteers aged 20-65, with a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 23-30, participated in the experiment.
Although, according to international standards, a BMI of 25 or higher is considered overweight, scientists believe that a BMI of 23 is already overweight for Asians.
They were randomly divided into three groups, supplementing with capsules containing one of two types of fermented kimchi powder or a placebo for comparison, while maintaining the same diet.
After 12 weeks, anthropometric analysis showed a significant increase in body fat mass and percentage in the placebo group.
In contrast, the groups supplementing with kimchi showed a significant reduction in body fat mass, even though they may not have lost weight.
With a body weight remaining the same, individuals with lower fat ratios and higher muscle mass are naturally healthier.
In the two kimchi-supplemented groups, those using kimchi fermented with Leuconostoc mesenteroides also showed improvements in blood fat indicators, including decreased bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides (neutral fats) and increased good cholesterol (HDL).
“The phytochemicals in kimchi may act as prebiotics, enhancing the growth of probiotics and contributing to metabolic health,” the authors explain.
Previous studies have shown that many other probiotic-rich foods—such as yogurt, fermented tofu, natto, pickled vegetables, and various fermented fruits and vegetables—can also help combat obesity and manage blood fat levels.
