A doctor is urging people to eat kimchi, as data suggests at least one daily serving could lower obesity risks and make it easier to lose weight. As discovered by BMJ Open, not only may the dish aid your weight loss journey, but kimchi is also said to be “linked to lower prevalence of midriff bulge in both men and women.”
The experts explain the obesity risk in men can reduce if they eat “up to three daily servings of the Korean classic”. Kimchi is made by salting and fermenting vegetables with various flavourings and seasonings, such as onion, garlic, and fish sauce. Cabbage and radish are often used as the main veg for the dish. So not only does it taste good, it can be added to a variety of dishes and is healthy. These veggies contain few calories and are rich in dietary fibre as well as its gut-boosting lactic acid bacteria, vitamins, and polyphenols.
The explains explain the recent findings, saying: “Previously published experimental studies have shown that Lactobacillus brevis and L. plantarum isolated from kimchi had an anti-obesity effect and researchers wanted to know if regular consumption might be associated with a reduction in the risk of overall and/or abdominal obesity, which is considered to be particularly harmful to health.”
Collecting data from 115,726 participants – 36,756 of which were men and 78,970 women – their average age was 51. As part of the Health Examinees (HEXA) study, they looked into dietary intake for the previous year which “was assessed using a validated 106-item food frequency questionnaire for which participants were asked to state how often they ate a serving of each foodstuff, from never or seldom, up to 3 times a day.”
You can pick up kimchi for around £2 at many shops like Asda and Aldi. Looking at those who consumed more than one serving and those who didn’t have as much, the experts revealed: “Compared with those who ate less than 1 daily serving of total kimchi, participants who ate 5 or more servings weighed more, had a larger waist size, and were more likely to be obese. They were also more likely to not be highly educated, have a low income, and to drink alcohol.”
Accounting for “potentially influential factors, eating up to 3 daily servings of total kimchi was associated with an 11% lower prevalence of obesity compared with less than 1 daily serving. In men, 3 or more daily servings of baechu kimchi were associated with a 10% lower prevalence of obesity and a 10% lower prevalence of abdominal obesity compared with less than 1 daily serving.”
When it came to the women, “2–3 daily servings of this type of kimchi were associated with an 8% lower prevalence of obesity, while 1–2 servings/day were associated with a 6% lower prevalence of abdominal obesity.”
The findings did note that there may be concerns that kimchi contains salt and as we know, high quantities of salt is not good for our health. However the potassium found in the fermented vegetables may help to counteract this, they say. They caution: “Since all results observed a ‘J-shaped’ association, excessive consumption suggests the potential for an increase in obesity prevalence. And as kimchi is one of the major sources of sodium intake, a moderate amount should be recommended for the health benefits of its other components.”