Kimchi could be the key to losing weight, science says

Korea has given Australia so many awesome foods but perhaps the biggest gift of them all is kimchi. Now science has revealed how healthy this flavour bomb really is.

A banchan a day keeps that belly at bay.

The Koreans have gifted us with many culinary delights, but while bibimbap, bulgogi and KFC (Korean fried chicken) may rock your world on a regular basis, the real gift that keeps on giving is the humble banchan (side dish), kimchi.

Not only is it chockas full of nutrients, it can also help give your gut health, heart health and immune system a boost, can reduce inflammation and may even help to slow down ageing *rushes straight to nearest Korean barbecue joint and downs an entire bowl of the stuff*.

Kimchi is a popular Korean food. Picture: Jakub Kapusnak/Unsplash

Now scientists have revealed that this Korean classic could even help you beat the battle of the bulge, with a study published in the journal BMJ finding a daily dose of kimchi could be the key to tackling obesity and abdominal fat.

A bit of detail before you follow me to Seoul Food BBQ: the kimchi most of us are familiar with is baechu kimchi, which is made with cabbage.

However, there are countless other varieties, including kkakdugi, or radish kimchi. But whichever type you enjoy, you’re probably onto a winner. Let’s dish on the dish.

Related story: What is kimchi? Here’s how to use the classic Korean side dish

Kimchi is surprisingly good for you.

The researchers found that people who ate up to three daily servings of ‘total’ kimchi – that’s all different varieties, with servings varying from around 50g to 95g depending on the variety – had an 11 percent lower prevalence of obesity compared with those who ate less than one daily serving. But slow down that chopstick shovel, folks, because people who ate five or more servings weighed more, had a larger waist size and were more likely to be obese. Pop goes that theory, then.

The results further showed that three daily servings of baechu kimchi were associated with a 10 percent lower prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity in men. Meanwhile, in women, two to three daily servings of this type of kimchi were associated with an eight percent lower prevalence of obesity, while one to two servings a day were associated with a six percent lower prevalence of abdominal obesity.

Scientists say a daily dose of kimchi could be the key to tackling obesity and abdominal fat.

Smaller quantities of kkakdugi kimchi were also associated with a lower prevalence of both obesity and abdominal obesity in both sexes compared with no consumption.

The researchers reckon that it’s the types of good bacteria found in kimchi that have the anti-obesity effect. But they want to point out that this was an ‘observational’ study that relied on food questionnaires, which aren’t always entirely accurate. It should also be noted that kimchi is high in salt, so eating entire bowls of it is not recommended, no matter what some foolish woman on the internet might suggest.

Related story: In queso you’ve ever wondered, does double-dipping really spread germs?

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Originally published as Kimchi could be the key to losing weight, science says