Get skinny with Kimchi
Yummy alternative to GLP1's
Obesity is a ‘BIG’ topic these days. And all Big Pharma is chasing after this market, GLP1’s in particular.
So I perked up and eagerly read up on recent news reporting that the asian probiotic condiment, kimchi, can help with weight loss. This observational study drew on data from 115,726 participants (36,756 men; 78,970 women; average age 51) taking part in the Health Examinees (HEXA) study. HEXA is a large, community-based long term study of the larger Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, designed to examine environmental and genetic risk factors for common long term conditions among Korean adults over the age of 40. It assessed dietary intake for the previous year using a validated 106-item food frequency questionnaire where participants were asked to state how often they ate a serving of each foodstuff.
For kimchi consumption, the food questionnaire surveyed frequency over time. Total kimchi included baechu kimchi (cabbage kimchi), kkakdugi (radish kimchi), nabak kimchi and dongchimi (watery kimchi) and other kimchi (e.g., green onion kimchi, Korean lettuce kimchi and mustard greens kimchi).
The Odds Ratios were adjusted for confounding variables to evaluate the independent relationship between kimchi consumption and obesity. Body mass index was the measured obesity parameter.
Conclusions and relevance Consumption of 1–3 servings/day of total kimchi was associated with a lower risk of obesity in men. Baechu kimchi was associated with a lower prevalence of obesity in men, and kkakdugi was associated with a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity in both men and women. However, since all results showed a ‘J-shaped’ association, it is recommended to limit excessive kimchi intake. - H Jung et al
[In other words, too much of a good thing, is not good here. Higher consumption associates with higher intake of total energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, sodium and cooked rice.]
So what is kimchi, and how is it made? My past newsletter described the many benefits from eating fermented foods:
“Several fermented fruits and vegetables products have a long history in human nutrition, dating back to ancient centuries. Fruits and vegetables are perishable commodities due to their high water activity and nutritive values. Lactic acid fermentation increases their shelf life and also enhances several beneficial properties — nutritive value, flavor, and reduced toxicity. They can be a source of probiotics for several lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. pentosus, L. brevis, L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, Leuconostoc fallax, and L. mesenteroides.”
Sauerkraut is another fermented cabbage food product that came from China, but is particulary popular in Germanic cultures.
MAKING YOUR OWN IS EASY
Kimchi Recipe from [https://diynatural.com/make-kimchi-recipe/]
Learning how to make kimchi is a simple and fun process. This Kimchi recipe includes sweet pears but you can adjust it to match your tastes. - Debra Maslowski
Ingredients for 1 gallon yield
2 heads napa cabbage
1 head green or purple cabbage
1 cup green onions
2 cups carrots
1 Tbsp ginger
2 tsp garlic
1 large daikon radish
1 large Asian Pear
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
1/2 gallon water
2 cups salt
Instructions
This kimchi recipe begins by mixing the salt with the water, stirring to dissolve. Now just add the cabbage and marinate it overnight.
The next morning, strain the cabbage and rinse well. You want to remove all of the salt. Let sit in a colander for a few minutes to drip the rest of the moisture out of it.
On a large bowl, mix all of the rest of the ingredients. I use gloves and really get my hands in there. All of the cabbage needs to be coated with hot sauce.
Place the kimchi in jars and tighten the lid. Be sure to leave about a half-inch of headspace at the top. Kimchi tends to release gasses as it ferments. Let this sit on the counter for about 3 days. I "burp" the lids every day to prevent blowouts. I have not had a jar break, but the fear is real! You can also use these fermenting lids.
After three days, test your kimchi recipe. You can leave it a bit longer to make it sourer or add more pepper flakes to increase the heat. I like to add some cucumber or zucchini at this point. I find that if I add it too soon, that it can get mushy.
Total Time: 4 days 1 hour
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Personally, I love to top off my salads with a heaping helping of spicy crunchy kimchi. I use it in place of dressing. And it is great mixed into pasta, too.
Bon appetit!
REFERENCES
H Jung et al. Association between kimchi consumption and obesity based on BMI and abdominal obesity in Korean adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health Examinees study. BMJ Open 2024;14:e076650. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2023-076650
A Siddeeg, et al. (2022) Recent updates and perspectives of fermented healthy superfood sauerkraut: a review, International Journal of Food Properties, 25:1, 2320-2331, DOI:10.1080/10942912.2022.2135531