Korean Researchers Say "The Reason for Low COVID-19 Deaths in Korea Is Kimchi"

Cabbage Helps Prevent COVID-19... Inhibits Virus-Binding ACE2 Enzyme
Germany, Where Pickled Cabbage Is Eaten, Also Has Fewer Cases

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] A study has revealed that the relatively low number of deaths from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Korea is due to 'Kimchi.'

On the 13th (local time), British media The Sun reported that a research team led by Professor Jean Bousquet, Emeritus Professor of Pulmonology at the University of Montpellier in France, studied the correlation between COVID-19 death tolls and dietary differences by country. The research paper was published in the international academic journal Clinical and Translational Allergy.

According to the report, the research team focused on the low death tolls in Korea and Germany.

The study found that both countries share a dietary habit of consuming fermented cabbage or cabbage-based foods as staples.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, worshippers are waiting for COVID-19 testing at a screening clinic set up in the yard of Ilgok Central Church in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Among about 800 people who attended the church service on the 27th and 28th of last month, two were confirmed positive for COVID-19. Photo by Yonhap News

In Korea, people eat Kimchi, while in Germany, they consume sauerkraut (a German-style Kimchi made by lightly salting and fermenting cabbage), which is analyzed as a factor contributing to the low COVID-19 death tolls.

The researchers claimed that "cabbage helps prevent COVID-19." According to the team, fermented cabbage has the effect of inhibiting ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2). ACE2 is an enzyme found on human cell membranes, and viruses bind to ACE2 to penetrate cells. Kimchi is said to suppress such viruses.

Additionally, the researchers analyzed that Greece and Bulgaria have relatively less COVID-19 damage compared to countries like Italy and Spain because they enjoy fermented beverages such as yogurt. Fermented beverages are also explained to inhibit ACE2 activity, similar to fermented cabbage.

Professor Jean Bousquet, a leading scholar in respiratory and allergy fields and former chair of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) under the World Health Organization (WHO), said through this study, "Until now, the correlation between coronavirus spread and dietary differences by country has received little attention," adding, "However, changing diets can greatly help in the fight against COVID-19."

Meanwhile, regarding this study, Professor Jdeep Rai of the University of Sheffield in the UK evaluated it as "a very interesting research result," stating, "The observed correlation from large-scale population data is worth exploring."