Kimchi demonstrates potential anti-obesity effects: study

As obesity continues to be a major health issue globally affecting approximately 16 percent of the world’s population, researchers are turning to innovative solutions to combat the disease.

One such solution may come from Korea's traditional fermented cabage, kimchi. A recent clinical trial conducted by World Institute of Kimchi (WiKim), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has shown that kimchi may significantly reduce body fat, offering potential as a natural remedy for obesity.

WiKim had previously conducted two studies to confirm the possibility of kimchi having a weight loss effect.

The research involved preclinical studies using cellular and animal models, as well as a large-scale cohort study, culminating in a human clinical trial that provided solid evidence for kimchi’s role in reducing body fat.

WiKim also conducted a research analyzing the data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), which included 13 years of dietary and anthropometric data.

The findings demonstrated that consuming kimchi two to three times daily (50g per serving) resulted in a 15 percent reduction in body mass index (BMI). Men aged 40 to 69 who consumed kimchi one to three times daily were found to have a 12 percent lower risk of obesity.

To strengthen these findings, WiKim decided to conduct a human clinical trial if the it could come to a similar result a direct human trial.

In collaboration with Shin Myung-jun of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Biomedical Research at Pusan National University Hospital, and WiKim’s Technology Innovation Research Division, led by Hong Seong-wook, conducted a trial on 55 overweight adults with BMIs ranging from 23 to 30 kg/m².

Participants consumed freeze-dried kimchi powder capsules, equivalent to 60g of kimchi per day, over three months.

The results showed that those who consumed kimchi powder capsules showed a 2.6 percent decrease in body fat, while the control group experienced a 4.7 percent increase.

Further analysis of participants' gut microbiomes revealed that kimchi consumption led to an increase in Akkermansia muciniphila, a beneficial gut bacterium associated with weight management, and a decrease in Proteobacteria, which are linked to obesity.

The team stressed that these results suggest that regular kimchi consumption could help regulate gut microbiota and alleviate obesity-related symptoms.

“By systematically proving kimchi’s anti-obesity effects from preclinical to clinical trials, we’ve secured scientific evidence for kimchi's health benefits, setting the stage for its growth as a global health food,” WiKim President Chang Hae-choon said. “WiKim plans to continue researching kimchi’s health benefits, including its potential to improve gut health, boost immunity, and prevent cancer, aiming to establish kimchi as a staple in global health-conscious diets.”

The study on kimchi’s anti-obesity effects has been published in the October issue of the Journal of Functional Foods.