What is Kimchi and why is it Kimchi beneficial to health?
Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish made mainly using the Chinese cabbage Napa cabbage, radish, spring onions, garlic, fresh ginger, and chilli. It also contains fish sauce but it can be made with soya sauce also or other seasoning source ingredients to make it vegan. There are other varieties of kimchi other than the cabbage version, such as white kimchi and kimchi made using fruits such as water melon rind kimchi and other vegetables (cucumber kimchi). Kimchi can also be made as fresh kimchi that is not fermented and can be eaten straight away! There maybe differences in heatlh benefits in comparison to the fermented Kimchi.
Fermented kimchi may not be tolerated well by individuals with histamine related issues, sometimes refered to as histamine intolerance.
This delicious probiotic food has been associated with many health-promoting properties. It is made by Lacto-fermentation which a fermentation process that takes place in the absence of oxygen. The lactic acid bacteria in kimchi are as Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Weissella species, These are the main bacteria species that do the fermentation according to the world institute of Kimchi.
Lactobacillus species of bacteria have been long associated with health-giving characteristics. They have found their way into capsules and are sold as probiotics to promote gut health. The kimchi is packed with naturally occurring lactobacillus species, and the combination of the spices and herbs ensure a diverse and rich probiotic culture to grow and be present for it to deliver its health benefits.
Did you know there is a Kimchi Institute in Korea that is dedicated to studying the health benefits of Kimchi?
According to the Institute of Kimchi, Kimchi has 3 components that make the dish a healthy choice:
"The first component is leafy vegetables such as kimchi cabbage, one of the main ingredients of kimchi. The second component is the mix of spices such as chilli, one of the minor ingredients of kimchi. The last component is the byproducts of lacto-fermentation. Packed with vitamins (B1, B2, C, etc.), minerals (calcium and potassium), fibre, and lactic acid bacteria, kimchi is full of superior nutritional benefits".
Studied Health Benefits of Kimchi
Improvements on various metabolic markers of metabolic syntrome including, reduced fasting blood glucose, body fat and waist to hip ratio, total cholesterol and BP levels. These benefits were attributed to fermented kimchi.
Kimchi is rich in phytochemicals, these bioactive compounds may help fight inflammation, DNA damage and cancer cell growth.
Kimchi is high in antioxidants making it effective at fighting free oxygen radicals that can cause havoc around the body.
Kimchi may reduce symptoms of IBS as it is a source of high dietary fibre. The high fibre content promotes beneficial bacteria (probiotics) growth in the gut, particularly Bifidobacterium Adolescentis. Bacteria that feed on the fibre produce beneficial metabolites.
Kimchi contains organic acids, amino acids, vitamons, minerals, anti bacterial properties, GABA to name a few.
Click here https://www.susandavisnutrition.co.uk/post/kimchi-recipefor my Kimchi Recipe
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