Eating up to three servings of kimchi a day can reduce the amount of fat around your waist – and possibly reduce the risk of diabetes, a large-scale study has found.
Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables such as cabbage, has long been linked to health benefits such as regulating digestion and boosting memory.
A study of more than 100,000 people by researchers at Chung Ang University in South Korea found that men who eat three servings of the dish a day are less likely to be overweight and have less belly fat – the type that is thought to be the most common form of belly fat. risky for type 2 diabetes.
Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables, usually cabbage, may lower the risk of obesity in men
Radish kimchi is linked to a lower chance of developing a diaphragm bulge in both men and women, study suggested
Previous research has shown that the bacteria in kimchi have an anti-obesity effect, but researchers wanted to know whether eating it regularly could be linked to a reduction in the risk of abdominal and overall obesity.
Abdominal obesity – often referred to as ‘beer belly’ – is considered the most important type of fat in the development of type 2 diabetes, because it is located around vital organs such as the pancreas and liver.
For the new study, researchers looked at data from more than 115,000 Koreans over 40 who participated in the Health Examinees study – a long-term analysis of environmental and genetic risk factors for common chronic conditions.
Participants completed a questionnaire about how often they ate different foods, choosing between less than one serving per day, one to two servings per day, two to three, three to five and more than five servings per day.
Total kimchi was defined as cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, and watery kimchi.
A serving of cabbage or radish kimchi is 50 grams, while a serving of watery kimchi is 95 grams.
One 50 gram serving is approximately one third of a cup.
The study, published in the journal BMJ openedHeight and weight, BMI and waist circumference were measured for each participant.
A BMI of 18.5 was defined as underweight; normal weight 18.5 to 25; and obesity such as over 25.
In the US, a BMI between 18.5 and 25 is a healthy weight, between 25 and 30 is overweight and above 30 is obese.
The researchers defined abdominal obesity as a waist circumference of at least 35 centimeters for men and at least 33 centimeters for women.
This is a slightly lower threshold than the US definition, which counts abdominal obesity as at least 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women.
By American standards, about 36 percent of men and 25 percent of women were overweight.
The results showed a J-shaped curve, meaning that a moderate amount of kimchi showed a decrease in overweight people, while too much caused an increase in excess fat.
After researchers took into account potentially influential factors, eating up to three daily servings of total kimchi was associated with an 11 percent lower prevalence of obesity, compared to less than one serving.
In men, three or more servings of cabbage kimchi were linked to a 10 percent lower prevalence of obesity and a 10 percent lower prevalence of high levels of abdominal fat compared to less than one daily serving.
In women, two to three servings per day of this kimchi type were associated with an eight percent lower prevalence of obesity, while one to two servings per day were associated with a six percent lower prevalence of high levels of abdominal fat.
Eating less than average amounts of radish kimchi was linked to a nine percent lower prevalence of obesity in both genders.
In addition, eating just under two tablespoons of radish kimchi per day (25 grams) for men and just under one tablespoon per day (11 grams) for women was associated with an eight percent (men) to 11 percent (women) lower risk of high bloodpressure. levels of belly fat compared to eating nothing at all.
However, eating too much wasn’t healthy: Compared to those who ate less than one daily serving of total kimchi, participants who ate five or more servings weighed more, had a larger waist size, and were more likely to be overweight.
The researchers cautioned that the study can only establish correlation and not causation.
They said: ‘As all results showed a ‘J-shaped’ association, excessive consumption suggests the potential for an increase in the prevalence (of obesity).
“And since kimchi is one of the top sources of sodium intake, a moderate amount should be recommended due to the health benefits of the other components.”