3 daily servings of this South Korean side dish might be a ‘superfood’ in the fight against obesity, says study

People often look for foods that can help control their weight or obesity. A new study from South Korea looks at a common dish called kimchi. The study suggests that eating a type of fermented food might help prevent obesity.

If you have not heard of kimchi, it is a popular dish in South Korea. It consists of vegetables like cabbage and radish. These vegetables are known to be full of fibers, vitamins, and good bacteria called lactic acid bacteria.

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Anti-obesity effect of daily kimchi intake

Healthy food helps reduce unnecessary fats and makes the body healthy (Image via Freepik)

Have you ever thought about "good bacteria?" They are tiny helpers in our food. These little wonders can do many positive things for our health. Kimchi is rich in these helpful microbes, which include names like Lactobacillus brevis and L. plantarum, known to have an anti-obesity effect.

Now, researchers have come forward with findings that eating up to three daily servings of kimchi might lead to a lower risk of developing obesity. This was observed after studying the eating habits of 115,726 people. They were part of a larger initiative studying genetics and long-term health conditions in South Korea, called the Health Examinees (HEXA) study.

Participants were asked to recall their food intake using a food questionnaire and guess what was on the menu. Yes, various kinds of kimchi. They had to report how often they ate a scoop of each type. Kimchi comes in different forms like baechu, which is cabbage kimchi, and kkakdugi, a type of radish kimchi.

Not to mention the watery varieties, nabak and dongchimi. The portion sizes people ate were typically 50 grams for baechu or kkakdugi and 95 grams for nabak or dongchimi.

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Important considerations and limitations

It is observed three servings in a day can keep your health in check (Image via Freepik)

After measuring the people's height, weight, and waist size (to see how big around the middle they were), they noticed something interesting. People who ate more kimchi did consume more energy and nutrients overall, but those who kept to about three servings a day were actually 11 percent less likely to be obese than those who had kimchi less frequently. And yes, they took into account that these people might be eating other things that could influence their weight.

Specifically for men, having three servings or more of baechu kimchi each day was associated with 10 percent lower obesity and smaller waist sizes. Women also had good news: two to three daily servings of the same led to 8 percent lower obesity prevalence, and one to two servings daily were connected to 6 percent lower rates of abdominal obesity – that is the troublesome fat around the middle.

Interestingly enough, even eating kkakdugi in lesser amounts showed about a 9 percent lower obesity rate across both genders. It seemed to be especially effective for tackling that stubborn waistline fat, with men and women showing 8 and 11 percent reduced risk, respectively.

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However, this is where we need to hit the pause button. Because this study is what's called "observational," it means the scientists watched and noted patterns but can't be 100 percent certain that kimchi is a weight-control solution. It is also worth mentioning that knowing exactly how much kimchi was eaten based on a questionnaire is not always spot-on, and what works for people in Korea might not work the same everywhere.

A word of caution from the researchers: Kimchi has salt in it, and too much of that isn't great for anyone. But, the potassium in the fermented veggies may balance out the bad with the good. That said, a moderate amount is recommended, enough to enjoy the benefits without going overboard.