HealthDay News — Daily consumption of kimchi may lower men’s overall risk of obesity, according to a study published online January 30 in BMJ Open.
Hyein Jung, from Chung Ang University in Anseong, South Korea, and colleagues assessed the association between kimchi consumption and obesity using data from 115,726 participants (aged 40 to 69 years) enrolled in the Health Examinees study in Korea.
The researchers found that in men, total kimchi consumption of one to three servings per day was related to a lower prevalence of obesity (odds ratios, 0.875 and 0.893 for 1 to 2 servings per day and for 2 to 3 servings per day, respectively) compared with less than 1 serving per day. Men with the highest consumption of cabbage kimchi had 10% lower odds of obesity and abdominal obesity. When compared with no consumption, median consumption or higher of radish kimchi was inversely associated with lower odds of abdominal obesity (8% for men and 11% for women).
“Since all results showed a ‘J-shaped’ association, it is recommended to limit excessive kimchi intake,” the authors write.
Two authors disclosed being members of the staff at the World Institute of Kimchi.