Kimchi Diet Reduces Body Fat by 31.8% in Preclinical Study

Kimchi, a traditional fermented Korean food. Credit: World Institute of Kimchi (WiKim) Kimchi has been shown to reduce body fat and improve gut health, supporting its potential as a dietary strategy to address global obesity, based on various studies and clinical trials.

Obesity has become a global epidemic, with approximately 16% of the world’s population, or about 890 million people, suffering from this condition. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized obesity as a significant health issue, emphasizing its detrimental effects on individuals’ quality of life and overall health.

In response, the World Institute of Kimchi in South Korea has published a series of articles in international journals on the anti-obesity effects of kimchi. These articles, based on research studies on the subject, indicate that regular consumption of kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, effectively reduces body fat and may serve as a promising dietary strategy to combat obesity.

Diagrammatic representation of the results of the clinical trial on the anti-obesity effects of kimchi. Credit: World Institute of Kimchi (WiKim) Research Findings on Kimchi’s Health Benefits

New research into the effects of kimchi on obesity has yielded compelling evidence supporting its efficacy. Notably, preclinical experiments in animal models of obesity revealed a substantial 31.8% reduction in body fat among those fed a kimchi diet.[1]

Additionally, an extensive analysis of data collected over 13 years from the Korea Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), a large population-based study, found that appropriate kimchi intake is associated with a 15% reduction in body mass index (BMI) and a 12% decrease in obesity incidence among middle-aged males. This study was published in Food & Function[2] and BMJ Open[3] (a British medical journal published by a subsidiary of the British Medical Association).

Clinical Study Insights Continuing this line of inquiry, a study conducted by a team led by Dr. Sung-Wook Hong from the Kimchi Functionality Research Group at the World Institute of Kimchi, in collaboration with the Pusan National University Hospital, South Korea, focused on the anti-obesity effects of kimchi and its impact on gut microbiomes. This study investigated the changes in anthropometric measurements, blood biomarkers, and gut microbiomes of 55 overweight adults, comprising both males and females, with a BMI ranging from 23 to 30 kg/m2. The participants consumed 3 kimchi capsules per meal (60g of kimchi per day) for 3 months. The kimchi capsules contained kimchi powder produced by freeze-drying cabbage kimchi fermented at 4℃ for 2 weeks. The research team analyzed the changes in the body fat composition of the participants and found that the group that consumed kimchi showed a 2.6% decrease in body fat, but the control group that did not take the kimchi capsules exhibited a 4.7% increase in body fat, showing a statistically significant difference between the two groups.

Further, the analysis of the participants’ microbiomes revealed that kimchi consumption increased the abundance of the beneficial gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila and reduced the number of Proteobacteria, which are associated with obesity.

Akkermansia muciniphila is a species of gut bacterium that has been reported to reduce inflammation and improve the markers of metabolic syndrome and obesity through the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Global Impact and Future Research The successful completion of this clinical trial on the body fat-reducing effects of kimchi indicates that a steady consumption of kimchi is effective in alleviating obesity symptoms through the modulation of the gut microbiota.

Dr. Hae-Choon Chang, Director of the World Institute of Kimchi, said, “The results of a preclinical study and a clinical trial have systematically verified the anti-obesity effects of kimchi, and present scientific evidence that would help to make the excellent properties of kimchi widely known, thereby laying the foundation for the growth of kimchi as a health food well recognized around the world.” She also said, “We will continue to devote our time, effort, and resources towards scientific research to reinforce the health-functional properties of kimchi, in improving gastrointestinal health in addition to its immune-enhancing and anti-cancer effects, thus firmly establishing the role of kimchi as a global health food.”

The clinical trial on the anti-obesity effects of kimchi was published in the October 2024 issue of the Journal of Functional Foods.

Meanwhile, in Korea, the country where kimchi originated, November 22 was officially designated as a national commemorative day for kimchi and named Kimchi Day in 2020. Kimchi is the first Korean food to be recognized in this manner for its unique health properties. Since then, Kimchi Festivals have been celebrated on Kimchi Day in the U.S., U.K., Argentina, and Brazil on November 22.

“Kimchi intake alleviates obesity-induced neuroinflammation by modulating the gut-brain axis”

by Namhee Kim, Jieun Lee, Hye Seon Song, Young Joon Oh, Min-Sung Kwon, Misun Yun, Seul Ki Lim, Hyo Kyeong Park, Young Seo Jang, Sulhee Lee, Sang-Pil Choi, Seong Woon Roh and Hak-Jong Choi, 21 June 2022, Food Research International.

“Effect of kimchi intake on body weight of general community dwellers: a prospective cohort study”

by Li-Juan Tan, Ye-Rang Yun, Sung Wook Hong and Sangah Shin, 8 February 2023, Food & Function.

“Association between kimchi consumption and obesity based on BMI and abdominal obesity in Korean adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health Examinees study”

by Hyein Jung, Ye-Rang Yun, Sung Wook Hong and Sangah Shin, 1 February 2024, BMJ Open.

“Effects of kimchi consumption on body fat and intestinal microbiota in overweight participants: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center clinical trial”

by Wooje Lee, Min-Sung Kwon, Ye-Rang Yun, Hasun Choi, Mi-Ja Jung, Hyelyeon Hwang, Myung-Jun Shin, Jong-Hwan Park, Du-Ri Kim, Ji Yoon Chang, So Young Moon, Ho Jae Lee, Tae-Woon Kim, Tae Woong Whon and Sung Wook Hong, 15 August 2024, Journal of Functional Foods.

Thanks very much for your encouragement and recipe.

I have tried a few times, exactly as described. Each batch has just gone rotten with unsavory growths. Another attempt is always on the table :)

My sourdough starter is coming up on 2 years old and it’s wonderful, so I know fermenting IS possible in my kitchen :)

[Thanks very much for your encouragement and recipe.

I have tried a few times, exactly as described. Each batch has just gone rotten with unsavory growths. Another attempt is always on the table :)

My sourdough starter is coming up on 2 years old and it’s wonderful, so I know fermenting IS possible in my kitchen :)]

You’re very welcome. The key with fermentation is exactitude in weights and measures. The salt used needs to be sufficient to keep unwanted biological matter dormant until the lactic acid generated during fermentation takes over. If stuff is growing, you’re not using enough salt. Insufficient salt means it rots rather than ferments.

I provided rough measures, but in practice, I weigh both the salt and cabbage in grams, setting a hard target of 2.5% salt vs cabbage by weight. Some people season things by taste or random feel. I season by weight.

https://www.amazon.com/Lan-Sheng-Calibration-Conversion-Back-Lit/dp/B07MP1WFHZ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXM7CY6F

Of the scales I looked up on Amazon, the little sensitive one is for the salt, and the regular one is for the cabbage.

Fermentation is like making pastry. No such thing as low-salt fermentation. There’s not much give in the proportions, or you’ll end up with something completely different. Note that the weight of added water needs to be added to the cabbage number when calculating the weight of salt needed. But once I figured out that the key to generating enough brine to cover the greens was to help the salting of the cabbage along with a potato masher, I stopped having to add water. The manually-produced brine covered the cabbage just fine.

Anyhow, good luck on this new leg of your sauerkraut experiment.

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