Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of fermented vegetables — that is, vegetables that have undergone a fermentation process with the help of beneficial bacteria, similar to how sauerkraut or yogurt are made — may provide notable health benefits, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of nine clinical trials published in the journal Nutrition Reviews.
Simply put, systematic reviews and meta-analyses are when scientists collect a lot of high-quality studies that have already been done on a topic, analyze their results together, and come up with one big, robust conclusion. It's like a “super study” that provides very strong evidence.
Scientists from the University of Connecticut analyzed data on the effects of fermented kimchi on the body and concluded that its regular consumption is associated with maintaining proper blood sugar (glucose) levels, reducing triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood, high levels of which can be harmful), and lowering blood pressure.
Thus, in participants who included kimchi in their diet, fasting glucose levels were lower by an average of 1.93 milligrams per deciliter, triglycerides by 28.88 milligrams per deciliter, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 3.48 and 2.68 millimeters of mercury, respectively.
While these numbers may seem small, they are considered very important in the medical world. These indicators are considered significant for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, as even a small but steady decrease in these indicators over time can significantly reduce the risk of developing heart and blood vessel problems, such as heart attacks or strokes.
It is important to note that the meta-analysis found no significant effect of kimchi on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (often called “bad” cholesterol because too much of it can clog arteries), HDL cholesterol (known as “good” cholesterol, which helps remove excess cholesterol from the body), and body mass index (BMI, a measure used to assess a person's weight for their height).
That is, while kimchi is healthy, it is not a universal remedy for controlling all aspects of health, especially regarding overall cholesterol levels or weight.
The positive effect was observed despite the high salt content in the product.
This is interesting, because a lot of salt is usually not considered good for health.
Scientists suggest that this factor is compensated by the action of probiotic bacteria that arise during the fermentation process.
Probiotic bacteria are the same “good” microorganisms that live in our intestines and improve digestion and immunity. Their benefits from kimchi probably “outweigh” the possible harm from salt.
The authors emphasize that all studies were conducted in Korea among the Asian population, so new work is needed in other countries to confirm the universality of the results.
In other words, while these results are very encouraging for Koreans and the Asian population, similar studies need to be conducted in other parts of the world among people of different ethnicities to ensure that kimchi will have the same positive impact on the health of absolutely everyone.
