The ‘pickled’ food that took down weight and triglycerides

In 2024, the U.S. reached a grim milestone: it was estimated that over 4 in 10 adults have obesity.

That’s more than 40 percent of Americans afflicted with a condition that carries numerous health risks, including heart disease, “diabesity,” cognitive decline, chronic inflammation and more.

Of course, diet and exercise are the twin pillars of any anti-obesity strategy…

But when it comes to diet, some foods appear to do more than others to help shift body fat composition — including one that is a staple in Korean culture…

Kimchi could fight obesity

In response to the global epidemic of obesity, the World Institute of Kimchi in South Korea has been publishing a series of articles based on studies into the anti-obesity effects of the traditional fermented food, most often made with cabbage.

And its reputation for taking off weight is getting lots of momentum…

• Previous preclinical studies in animal models of obesity revealed a stunning 31.8 percent reduction in body fat among those fed a kimchi diet.
• An extensive analysis of data collected over 13 years from the Korea Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) found kimchi intake was associated with a 15 percent reduction in body mass index (BMI) and a 12 percent decrease in obesity among middle-aged males.

In the most recent study to come out of the World Institute of Kimchi, researchers gathered data on 90 overweight adults including blood biomarkers, gut microbiome makeup and body composition.

They had one group of participants consume three freeze-dried kimchi capsules per meal equivalent to 60 g of kimchi per day for three months, while the control group did not take the kimchi capsules.

After analyzing the changes in body fat composition and other markers, the researchers found:

• The group that consumed kimchi showed a 2.6 percent decrease in body fat — and a reduction in triglycerides.
• The control group exhibited a 4.7 percent increase in body fat — and an increase in triglycerides.

But the most interesting finding may have been what happened in the gut…

The gut bacteria that naturally stimulates the release of GLP-1

The participants’ gut microbiome analyses showed increased Akkermansia muciniphila. Here’s why that matters…

GLP-1 medications work by mimicking a hormone your body already makes — one that helps regulate appetite, blood sugar and how quickly food leaves the stomach. But what’s easy to miss in all the GLP-1 buzz is that your gut has its own built-in GLP-1 support system. And Akkermansia muciniphila appears to be one of the gut bacteria involved in that process.

Akkermansia muciniphila lives in the mucus layer of the gut lining, where it helps maintain the intestinal barrier and communicate with cells that influence metabolism.

In animal and lab research, scientists found that this bacterium secretes a protein known as P9 that can stimulate GLP-1 release. That GLP-1-stimulating effect was linked to better glucose control, improved energy metabolism and protection against diet-induced metabolic dysfunction.

In another pilot study of overweight and obese adults with insulin resistance, pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila was safe and well tolerated, improved insulin sensitivity and showed trends toward reductions in body weight, fat mass and hip circumference.

More recently, a randomized trial found that pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila helped reduce weight regain after an initial weight-loss diet, suggesting this gut bacterium may be especially useful for supporting weight maintenance — the part of weight loss many people struggle with most.

Supplements containing Akkermansia muciniphila are becoming more widely available. But this study suggests kimchi — freeze-dried in this case — may also help shift the gut microbiome in a direction that supports the body’s own appetite, blood sugar and fat-regulating systems.

The kimchi group also showed a reduction in Proteobacteria, a group of bacteria that has been associated with obesity and metabolic imbalance.

In short, this clinical trial suggests steady kimchi consumption may help support healthier body composition by positively modifying the gut microbiome — including increasing Akkermansia muciniphila, a bacterium tied to GLP-1 signaling and metabolic health.

Adding this pickled wonder to your diet

“The results of a preclinical study and a clinical trial have systematically verified the anti-obesity effects of kimchi, and present scientific evidence that would help to make the excellent properties of kimchi widely known, thereby laying the foundation for the growth of kimchi as a health food well recognized around the world,” says Dr. Hae-Choon Chang, director of the World Institute of Kimchi. 

You can make kimchi at home — just be advised that the process can be a little time-consuming. There are dozens of recipes online, but here’s one to get you started.

If you’re short on time or simply don’t have the space to make and store it, you can buy prepackaged kimchi at Asian grocery stores or even in some supermarkets. For maximum health benefits, look for it freshly prepared in the refrigerated section.

You may wonder exactly what it tastes like — it’s sort of a spicy pickled flavor. You can eat it plain or make it a tasty addition to sandwiches (try a kimchi grilled cheese), burgers or burritos. You can even mix it into a salad to give it a tangy, spicy kick.

Sources:

New clinical study confirms the anti-obesity effects of kimchi — EurekAlert!

Effects of kimchi consumption on body fat and intestinal microbiota in overweight participants: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center clinical trial — Journal of Functional Foods

Akkermansia muciniphila secretes a glucagon-like peptide-1-inducing protein that improves glucose homeostasis and ameliorates metabolic disease in mice — Nature Microbiology

Supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila in overweight and obese human volunteers: a proof-of-concept exploratory study — Nature Medicine

Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT for weight loss maintenance in people with overweight and obesity: a controlled randomized trial — Nature Medicine

Kimchi intake alleviates obesity-induced neuroinflammation by modulating the gut-brain axis — Food Research International

Fermented kimchi may help combat obesity by regulating gut microbiota — News Medical Life Sciences