It's estimated that nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight, with 40 percent qualifying as obese. And findings from a recent study predict that by 2050, two-thirds of U.S. adults will be obese. Perhaps even more troubling is that this trend seems to be evident in other countries, too.
Take South Korea, for example. According to a study published in the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome, nearly 40 percent of residents are obese, a figure that's been steadily increasing over the past decade. But interestingly enough, this country may hold one of the secrets to weight loss, as new research sheds light on how kimchi can positively affect Body Mass Index (BMI) and obesity.
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What is kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean food made of fermented vegetables. According to Food Network, it's typically made with napa cabbage or Korean radish, along with gochujang, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, rice glue, salt, and sugar.
Like other fermented foods (including kombucha, yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut), kimchi is full of probiotics, which can "help restore balance in your digestive system, helping eliminate symptoms like gas, bloating, and irregular bowel movements," Raj Dasgupta, MD, chief medical advisor for Fortune Recommends Health, previously explained to Best Life.
Studies show kimchi can counteract obesity.
Several bodies of research have shown that kimchi can aid in weight loss. One such study, published recently in the journal BMJ Open, found that men who ate three daily servings of classic cabbage kimchi had a 10 percent lower chance of developing obesity and abdominal obesity (the latter describes excess midriff weight). Radish kimchi was linked to a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity in both sexes—10 percent for men, 8 percent for women.
The study analyzed 115,726 participants aged 40–69 enrolled in the Health Examinees study in Korea between the years 2004 and 2013.
Additionally, an analysis of 13 years of data from the Korea Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) showed that eating kimchi was associated with a 15 percent reduction in BMI and a 12 percent decrease in obesity in middle-aged men, per a news release.
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How does kimchi help with weight loss?
Why, exactly, can kimchi counteract obesity?
The recent BMJ Open study notes that the food is low-calorie. It's also rich in dietary fiber, which helps you feel fuller for longer, slows gastric emptying, lengthens digestion time, and curbs your appetite, as Best Lifepreviously explained.
Additionally, a 2022 study published in the journal Food Research International linked kimchi consumption to reduced inflammation and, thereby, weight loss.
This study examined the effects of eating kimchi on obese mice with high-fat diets. The authors explained that kimchi helped fight obesity thanks to its effect on gut health. Specifically, the food changes gut bacteria and the healthy compounds the bacteria produce, which can affect your weight.
However, there is one caveat: The BMJ Open study found that those who consumed more than five servings of kimchi daily were actually at a higher risk of obesity due to the food's high sodium content.
The Takeaway
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When eaten in moderate amounts of roughly three servings per day, kimchi has been shown to improve gut health, reduce inflammation, and aid in weight loss.
Though much of the research has linked the weight loss effects to men, experts say that could be due to other lifestyle factors such as portion size and diet. But they believe the benefits are significant for both sexes.
