Research reveals that consuming fermented kimchi can assist enhance fasting glucose, decrease triglycerides, and cut back hypertension.
Researchers on the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) carried out a evaluate inspecting the well being results of kimchi, a standard Korean dish that has seen rising reputation worldwide.
Kimchi is usually ready from fermented cabbage and radish, seasoned with salt, chili powder, garlic, and ginger. Although it was as soon as comparatively unusual within the United States, it’s now broadly out there in lots of grocery shops throughout the nation.
The evaluate, revealed in Nutrition Reviews, summarizes findings from present research on the well being advantages of kimchi, making this data extra accessible for researchers within the United States. The challenge was led by Seoeun Ahn, a postdoctoral researcher and visiting scholar within the lab of Ock Chun, professor of dietary sciences and interim affiliate dean for analysis and graduate schooling.
The evaluation drew on 9 research carried out between 2011 and 2023 that investigated the consequences of fermented kimchi in human members.
Findings on glucose, triglycerides, and blood strain
Results confirmed that consuming fermented kimchi was linked to enhancements in fasting glucose, triglycerides, and blood strain. Compared with management teams, members who ate kimchi had fasting glucose decreased by 1.93 mg/dL, triglycerides lowered by 28.88 mg/dL, and reduces in systolic and diastolic blood strain by 3.48 mmHg and a couple of.68 mmHg, respectively.
“That’s a really good number,” Chun says. “In clinical settings, even a reduction of 5 mmHg in systolic blood pressure is considered a meaningful improvement. So, seeing comparable reductions from a dietary intervention, not medication, is a very promising result.”
Sodium ranges and stunning outcomes
The undeniable fact that kimchi decreased blood strain was stunning as it’s excessive in sodium – an element that usually contributes to hypertension.
“This suggests that other components of kimchi, such as beneficial bacteria, offset the hypertensive effect of sodium,” Ahn says.
The researchers included solely research that checked out fermented kimchi, versus simply learning the impression of the unfermented components to have a constant supply for comparability.
Global implications and future analysis
This paper not solely offers a meta-analysis of present analysis on fermented kimchi, but in addition helps introduce this conventional Korean meals to a broader scientific viewers.
Since all of the included research have been carried out in Korea amongst Asian populations, the outcomes might not but apply to different teams. Still, the work lays a basis for future analysis within the U.S., the place dietary habits and inhabitants range differ.
“It would be very meaningful to conduct an intervention study in the U.S.,” Ahn says. “That way we could see if the findings of this metanalysis can be generalized to more diverse populations.”
Reference: “Effects of Fermented Kimchi Consumption on Anthropometric and Blood Cardiometabolic Indicators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies and Prospective Cohort Studies” by Seoeun Ahn, Manije Darooghegi Mofrad, Briana M Nosal, Ock Okay Chun and Hyojee Joung, 14 November 2024, Nutrition Reviews.
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae167
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