It’s been a staple in Asian cuisine for thousands of years, and now it’s getting global attention for being the next ‘superfood.’

Once primarily found in Korean cuisine, this tangy vegetable dish is now incorporated into numerous recipes and combined with various foods like eggs, rice, avocado, and even ice cream.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) have discovered that its consumption is linked to better regulation of blood sugar, triglycerides—fats present in the bloodstream—and blood pressure.

For this ‘superfood’ is kimchi – a fermented vegetable dish which is readily available in grocery stores and and can cost as little as $2.

Keeping blood sugar in check is crucial for diabetes prevention, while low triglyceride levels are vital for averting heart attacks, strokes, and pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas.

Moreover, maintaining proper blood pressure is essential for preventing heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease, which is the leading cause of death globally.

Kimchi also provides gut and digestive health benefits due to its fermentation process. 

Fermented foods are rich in probiotics, beneficial bacteria that support the body’s natural bacterial ecosystem, known as the microbiome. This bacterial community aids in digestion, and researchers are increasingly suggesting that an imbalanced microbiome may elevate colon cancer risk.

Kimchi is made from fermented cabbage and radish and flavored with spices (stock image)

Kimchi is an affordable alternative to expensive ‘designer’ probiotics and is commonly found in the refrigerated sections of supermarkets.

Neuroradiologist and longevity expert Dr Kavin Mistry told the Daily Mail the preliminary data is ‘promising.’

He added: ‘Given how central gut health is to systemic inflammation, immune regulation, and metabolic function, I see kimchi as a potentially valuable component of a dietary pattern that supports heart health and reduces cancer risk.’

The review from the researchers in Connecticut included nine studies comprising of nearly 43,000 people carried out between 2011 and 2023.

Compared to people who did not eat fermented kimchi, those who did had a fasting glucose level of 1.93 mg/dL. It is not known what the participants’ levels were before the experiment, but lower glucose levels are crucial to reduce the risk of diabetes. 

In the US, 38 million Americans have either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, and the prevalence is rising. 

The disease is associated with 95,000 deaths annually.  

Triglyceride levels decreased by nearly 29 mg/dL. Similarly, baseline levels were not reported, but lower levels are associated with a decreased risk in heart complications. 

High triglycerides are associated with heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and artery disease. High levels are associated with a 25 percent greater likelihood of a heart disease-related death when above 200 mg/dL, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Healthy levels are below 100 mg/dL.  

Kimchi provides gut and digestive health benefits due to its fermentation process

Lastly, hypertension, or high blood pressure, was improved. There was a decrease in both blood pressure parameters: 3.48 mm/Hg in systolic and 2.68 mmHg in diastolic. 

Ock Chun, co-author and professor of nutritional sciences, said: ‘That’s a really good number.

‘In clinical settings, even a reduction of 5 mmHg in systolic blood pressure is considered a meaningful improvement. So, seeing comparable reductions from a dietary intervention, not medication, is a very promising result.’

Hypertension has a significant effect on overall health, especially heart health. Chronic high blood pressure can cause heart disease and heart failure. It can weaken the heart muscle, damage arteries, impair blood flow and increase the risk of sudden cardiac death. 

High blood pressure afflicts nearly 50 percent of Americans, 122 million people, according to the American Heart Association and CDC. 

And heart disease accounts for one in three deaths in the US each year, about 919,000 in 2023 – the latest data available. It is the leading cause of death nationwide, as well as around the world. 

Dr Daniel Atkinson, a general practitioner and clinical lead at telehealth company Treated, told the Daily Mail kimchi can be part of a healthy lifestyle that helps prevent a slew of conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cancer and widespread inflammation.

He said: ‘Its health benefits are great news for anyone looking to improve their heart health. 

‘Diseases like hypertension and diabetes, as well as an increased risk of colon cancer, often share similar risk factors involving obesity and inflammation. So as well as trying to increase activity levels, doctors will always suggest you look at ways you can improve your health through your diet.

‘And improving the diversity of your gut microbiome is a great place to start… so eating kimchi fits perfectly with [this].’  

A preliminary investigation in 2020 by scientists in South Korea found that fermented kimchi intake led to ‘significant changes’ in people’s fecal microbiome and the food showed ‘significant’ prevention in the development of colitic cancer and the formation of adenomas in the intestines. 

Adenomas are benign tumors but their growth increases the risk of future cancerous tumors. 

Researchers involved in a 2022 study on the microbiome and colon cancer said: ‘Under normal conditions, the gut microbiome acts as a barrier to other pathogens or infections in the intestine and modulates inflammation by affecting the host immune system.’

The collection of bacteria in the gut play a role in modulating the body’s anti-cancer immune response. 

The researchers concluded: ‘Various animal and clinical experiments have demonstrated that changes in the composition of the gut microbiota affect the initiation of precancerous cancer lesions and cancer progression. 

‘Because the colorectal region is a site where changes in the gut microbiota can influence the organs directly, [colon cancer] is considered to be affected by the gut microbiome more than other tumors.’