Fermented Kimchi has Beneficial effect on Cardio-metabolic Risk Factors: Study

Kimchi is a traditional fermented food of Korea that is consumed daily. It is one of the popular ethnic foods with natural, nutritional, and functional elements that support health. Recently the global consumption of kimchi has increased due to cross-cultural impact. Despite its health benefits and increased consumption, there is ambiguity about the influence of kimchi on cardiometabolic risk factors. Hence, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of fermented kimchi consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors.

The study was carried out by reviewing human intervention and prospective cohort studies. A literature search was done by including data from PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, RISS, KISS, and ScienceON databases. studies that examined the effects of fermented kimchi, without any added ingredients or lactic acid bacteria, on health outcomes, including anthropometric measures, blood pressure, cardiometabolic and glycemic indicators, inflammatory cytokines, and the incidence of related chronic diseases were included. About three researchers carried out Data extraction and quality evaluation. Data was analyzed using Pooled effect sizes as weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% CIs employing random-effects models.

Findings:

• Five intervention studies (205 participants) and 4 prospective cohort studies (42 455 participants) were selected.
• A significant reduction in fasting blood glucose was seen in a meta-analysis of the intervention studies following the consumption of fermented kimchi.
• A significant inverse association was observed between fermented kimchi consumption and triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure.
• Studies that contributed to increased heterogeneity were excluded
• Prospective cohort studies linked higher kimchi intake with a lower incidence of cancer and metabolic syndrome and an increased likelihood of achieving normal body weight.

Thus, the study concluded that fermented kimchi has beneficial effects on metabolic and cardiovascular health. However, the researchers encouraged further studies to be done in larger and more diverse populations to understand the effects.

Further reading: Ahn S, Darooghegi Mofrad M, Nosal BM, Chun OK, Joung H. Effects of Fermented Kimchi Consumption on Anthropometric and Blood Cardiometabolic Indicators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies and Prospective Cohort Studies. Nutr Rev. Published online November 14, 2024. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuae167

Take-home points:

• Kimchi is the fermented nutritious food that is a part of traditional Korean cuisine
• It has high nutritional value.
• The systematic review and meta-analysis show that it has an inverse association with fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides, and metabolic syndromes.
• Kimchi is beneficial for cardiovascular and metabolic health