Surprise with the benefits of kimchi

Kimchi is often included in Korean meals not only as a delicious dish, but also as a "tonic" that improves health.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made with fermented vegetables. There are hundreds of types of kimchi made from vegetables like cabbage, onions, turnips, and carrots, with many different spices. The flavor may vary depending on which ingredients are used and how it's prepared, but kimchi is often spicy and sour.

Kimchi can be eaten alone as a dish or used in stews, soups or noodles. Besides its delicious taste, kimchi is also known for the health benefits it provides to the body.

Kimchi is a low-calorie, low-fat, nutrient-rich vitamin (especially vitamin C and beta-carotene), which is rich in minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals (including beta-sitosterol, sulfur compounds). and capsaicin), and importantly many beneficial bacteria strains (including Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis).

Kimchi can be eaten alone as a dish or used in stews, soups or noodles.

Here are the health benefits from kimchi that few people expect.

1. Good for intestinal

Samantha Cassetty, a New York-based nutritionist, said: "Like other fermented vegetables and foods, kimchi is rich in beneficial probiotics." These bacteria are very beneficial to the digestive tract. Therefore, eating kimchi can help improve the balance of good and bad bacteria in the intestinal system.

2. Strengthen immune health

Kimchi is good for the digestive tract, so it also has health benefits for your immune system. The probiotics in kimchi are beneficial for immune function because most of the immune function takes place in the gut. When your gut is in good shape, your immune system may also function better.

3. Lower cholesterol

Although the link between kimchi and cholesterol is not completely clear, several studies have found that people who eat kimchi regularly have lower "bad" (LDL) cholesterol levels. Ingredients in kimchi such as cabbage, red peppers, garlic, leeks, ginger and lactic acid bacteria have their own health benefits.

4. Improve cardiovascular health

In addition to supporting healthy cholesterol, kimchi also helps improve heart health by increasing the level of antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants stabilize damaged cells and help speed up the disease process. Therefore, high antioxidant status can protect you from chronic diseases like heart disease.

There are bacteria strains found in kimchi that reduce some inflammatory markers in the intestine.

5. Helps reduce inflammation

Excessive or chronic inflammation seriously affects your health over time and probiotics (found in kimchi) can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the intestinal tract. An animal study published in the Journal of Microbiology found that a specific strain of bacteria found in kimchi reduced some inflammatory markers in the gut.

6. Support brain health

Having a healthy intestine will also indirectly help the brain work better. Keeping the digestive system healthy is also important for the brain, because the nervous system in the gut communicates with your brain. And eating kimchi will help improve the intestine very well.

7. Help with weight loss

Eating only kimchi will not help you lose weight quickly. However, it can be a really useful tool for a healthy lifestyle. People tend to overeat when dieting due to boring or bland food. But when you add flavorful elements like kimchi to your meal, it will make you feel more satisfied and avoid eating more.

Note when eating kimchi

If you are sensitive to spice in kimchi, you can use only a little or eat less spicy kimchi.

Unlike sauerkraut, traditional kimchi may be a problem for some people. If you are sensitive to spice in kimchi, you can use only a little or eat hotter spicy kimchi.

In particular, the heat in kimchi can cause acid reflux in people who are prone to this disease. In addition, some people may experience bloating after eating fermented foods, and those who are susceptible to infections should also be careful when eating kimchi.

Lastly, remember that many kimchi products contain a lot of sodium, so check the ingredients to not absorb too much salt.

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