Kimchi is a side dish, normally. The vegetables are salted, spiced, normally with black and red pepper, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, onion and mustard and seasonings, and then left for fermentation.
Since it is fermented, it is filled with probiotics, and that is how Kimchi gets its healthy reputation. Unlike how yogurt is made, where the good bugs are added to the milk, with kimchi, the dish usually ferments naturally in cabbage with the microorganisms spontaneously, and the other ingredients in kimchi. However, starter cultures can be added to certain commercial preparations.
Many variants of kimchi exist today. Kimchi made with napa cabbage, daikon radish, garlic, green onion, and red pepper is probably the most common version. And while Chinese cabbage is almost always the main ingredient in kimchi, at least 30 different types of vegetables can be combined with it.
The traditional Korean dish provides a range of health benefits for your stomach and beyond. Kimchi benefits are numerous especially for health. These fermented dishes are a simple, low calorie way to increase your vegetable consumption and to load up bacteria known as probiotics that boost health.
While Kimchi has always been treated like pure condiments, a growing interest in all things intestinal health and Korean popularity finally put the spicy thing in the spotlight.
Whether you’re always adding kimchi to all your salads or you’ve never bought a jar in your life, it’s a good thing for you. A variety of impressive health perks come along with his spicy blow. You might definitely want to pick up a jar or two since there are countless kimchi benefits.
Nutrition facts of Kimchi
In a 1 cup serving or 150 grams of kimchi, there are:
- Calories: 23
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: <1 g
- Carbohydrate: 4 g
- Sugars: 2 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sodium: 747 mgKimchi is also a good source of iron, you get 21 percent of your Daily Value in a cup and you get a bit of calcium and magnesium as well. Also, despite the high sodium content of the kimchi, vegetables give you 5 percent of your daily potassium dose that can offset the potential negative effects of sodium.
Kimchi Benefits And Risks
First, the health benefits of kimchi:
In the scientific literature, Kimchi has been claimed to have anticancer and antioxidant properties, all thanks to its phytochemicals or plant compounds that are good for you. We are also aware that kimchi probiotics are good for our digestive health and that reach into other systems and functions in our body.
Research on kimchi also seems to be growing, so we have cut off a few notable and exciting, though some are preliminary, benefits from eating this fermented vegetable side dish.
1. It contains probiotics
It is particularly unique due to the Lacto fermentation process kimchi undergoes. Fermented food not only has an increased shelf life, but also an improved taste and aroma.
Fermentation takes place as organisms like yeast, mold, or bacteria turn starch or sugar into alcohol or acid. Lacto fermentation uses Lactobacillus as a bacterium to break down sugars into a lactic acid that gives kimchi its distinctive sourness.
The bacterium itself may have many advantages, including remedies for conditions such as hayfever and certain forms of diarrhea, when used as a supplement. Fermentation also creates an environment that permits the growth and multiplication of other friendly bacteria. Which include probiotics which are living micro-organisms which, when in large amounts, provide health benefits.
Indeed, in many circumstances, they are connected to protection or improvements, including:
- Certain cancer types
- the common cold
- constipation
- Digestive health
- Cardiovascular health
- mental health
- skin conditions
Note that many of these results are associated with high-dose probiotic supplements rather than the levels found in a regular kimchi serving.
It is believed that the probiotics in kimchi are responsible for many of kimchi’s benefits. However, further studies on the particular effects of probiotics on fermented foods are necessary.
2. Kimchi might boost your immune system
The digestive benefits of Kimchi also apply to the immune system. For kimchi, probiotics promote immune function, as much of the immune function is carried out in the digestive system. The immune system can better function when the intestines are in good condition.
The immune cells are more active and the antibodies more concentrated, found by Professor Rina Yu from the Food and Nutrition Department at the University of Ulsan. A high cholesterol diet gives 55% immune function, a normal diet 68%, but a high cholesterol and kimchi diet can give 75%.
3. Kimchi may help reduce inflammation.
Kimchi and other fermented foods have probiotics and active compounds that help combat inflammation. Over time, severe or chronic inflammation has a significant impact on your health, and probiotics such as kimchi may have an anti-inflammatory effect on your stomach.
In reality, an animal study in the Journal of Microbiology showed that several inflammation markers were reduced by a particular strain of probiotic showed in kimchi.
4. Kimchi helps slow down the aging process
Have you ever wonder why the Koreans look young for their age? That is one of the many kimchi benefits out there. Kimchi is rich in antioxidants, which reduce the levels of aging in the skin after two weeks of fermentation. This also stops cell oxidation, which helps you appear carefree and relaxed, even though you are stressed a lot.
Chronic inflammation not only involves many diseases but also speeds up the aging process. But, by slowing down this process, kimchi could prolong cell life.
5. Kimchi might even help with weight loss.
Of course, it’s not going to magically make you lose pounds if you eat Kimchi. It can be a useful tool in your healthy lifestyle, however. Kimchi is a
tasty, low-calorie alternative. People appear to overeat when food is bland or dull, but it’s easier to feel happy with a healthy portion of food when you add tasty elements such as the kimchi to meals.
150 grams of kimchi has 40 calories in it. But it isn’t just that, kimchi helps carbohydrate metabolism to help you lose weight. Besides, the capsaicin found in this Korean dish in chili peppers boosts your metabolism and makes you use the excess energy in your body, thus increasing weight loss.
Fresh and fermented kimchi both have low calorie content and can increase the loss of weight. Be conscious that those who ate kimchi with fermentation displayed significantly improved levels of blood pressure and fats than those who ate the fresh fish.
While its low calorie count, high fiber content, and probiotics may all play a role, it’s unclear which properties of kimchi are responsible for its weight loss effects.
6. Kimchi can contribute to brain health.
The indirect effect of a healthy gut, the brain functions better. It is also essential for the brain to maintain the digestive system in a healthy way because your brain interacts with your enteric nervous system in the gut. This gut-brain connection requires the proper function of a healthy intestine.
An amyloid Beta compound believed to affect brain learning and memory, and also to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease, was given to mice during another animal study. The mice also received kimchi extracts, and the mice recovered from the amyloid beta ‘s cognitive deficiencies.
7. Kimchi can improve your heart health.
Besides promoting good cholesterol, kimchi will boost your heart ‘s health by increasing your body’s antioxidant rates. Antioxidants help repair damaged cells, which can speed up the disease process and protect you from chronic diseases such as heart disease with high antioxidant status.
Research indicates that the risk of cardiovascular disease is lower when consuming kimchi. Their anti-inflammatory properties may be responsible because of recent evidence that inflammation may be a fundamental cause of heart disease.
8. Kimchi may help lower your cholesterol.
Do not worry if you’re suffering from high blood pressure or a high level of cholesterol in your blood. The garlic used in kimchi contains allicin and selenium which are both effective in reducing the body’s cholesterol reserves. Furthermore, these substances often indirectly help reduce the chances of developing stroke or other cardiovascular disorders of some kind, due to their prevention of plaque build-up in the walls of your arteries.
While the precise relation between kimchi and cholesterol is not entirely clear, many studies show the foundations of lower levels of ‘poor’ (LDL) cholesterol in persons who eat kimchi regularly. Scientists don’t know exactly which kimchi ingredients are responsible for them. Any of the ingredients widely used in kimchi all provide possible health benefits.
In a sample of Korean adults, those who had been eating just under 11⁄2 cups of kimchi every day for 7 days improved their cholesterol levels significantly. Interestingly, the group that consumed considerably less kimchi only 2 pieces at each meal also saw their cholesterol decrease.
9. Kimchi helps produces radiant skin and shiny hair
Kimchi does not only shine through your inner beauty – it makes your outer look amazing, that is also the benefit of kimchi for the skin. Since the selenium present in kimchi garlic keeps your skin and hair healthy, eating kimchi will help you prevent long-term wrinkles. Selenium is also a relevant part of glutathione, a booster that reconstitutes and preserves vitamin C and thus makes it stronger and more effective in the body.
10.Kimchi enables healthy body growth and clear vision
A 100-gram portion of kimchi has 18% of the vitamin A value per day if the 2,000 calorie diet is taken into consideration. Apart from the fact that Vitamin A is an antioxidant that can help to kill free radicals causing cancer in your body, the benefits of kimchi are not limited. The same vitamin A is important in the development of a healthy body, including embryos, and helps keep the eye clear and healthy.
Are there any downsides to eating kimchi?
There are very few risks for Kimchi. Nonetheless, the dish was related to food poisoning outbreaks so that individuals with compromised immune systems may wish to exercise extra caution.
If you are sensitive to spice or do not like spicy stuff, either use a little bit or look for fewer heat variants. It should also be noted that acid reflux can also be caused by spiciness in people susceptible to it.
Moreover, after the consumption of fermented foods, a few people may have bloated and considered that kimchi is made with cabbage, another well-known bloat-inducer, and can cause trouble for gassy people.
Lastly, remember that many kimchi products contain plenty of sodium and keep your portions under control to prevent salt from overboard.
The Bottomline
Kimchi is a Korean sour dish that is mostly made from cabbage and other vegetables. It boasts multiple probiotics, as it is a fermented food.
These healthy microorganisms will bring many health benefits to the kimchi. It can help to regulate your immune system, promote weight loss, fight inflammation, and even slow the process of aging.
Kimchi is a healthy fermented food that can fit perfectly into your diet. Making your own is simple but it is commonly available in many grocery stores as well. You can try this gut-healthy food in rice bowls, on top of burgers, or toast with avocado. If you are under high blood pressure or monitor your salt intake, keep your kimchi servings in small portions to help keep your sodium in check.
How To Make Homemade Kimchi Ingredients
- 1 head Chinese cabbage
- 21⁄2 tbsp unrefined fine sea salt
- 225g daikon radish or turnips, peeled
- 225g carrots, peeled
- 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 4 spring onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tsp chili garlic paste
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- Basic Brine (6 tbsp fine sea salt combined with 8 cups filtered water)Method
- Chop the cabbage to quarter Quarter the cabbage and remove the core. Salt the leaves, and put the moisture in a wide bowl for 3 hours.
- The radish, carrots, and ginger are coarsely grated. Cut the spring onions into pieces 2 cm long, and slice the garlic thinly. Toss the chili garlic paste and fish sauce entirely in a cup.
- Rinse the salt off the cabbage using filtered water, and cut into chunks. Put the chili mixture together with the juices into a 1-liter jar and press down. If necessary apply a small amount of brine to cover the cabbage.
- To keep the cabbage submerged, place a weight on top, and then cover.
- Keep for 5 hours at room temperature, then switch to a cooler location (15 ° C)for at least 3 days, then cover and refrigerate. After 3 days, this will be ready andget stronger while fermenting for up to a month.
- Enjoy!