World Kimchi Research Institute Confirms Beneficial Effects of Gut Microbes
Feeding Obese Mice Reduces Body Fat by Over 31% in One Week
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The testimony of a famous African American YouTuber who recently gained attention for "losing over 50kg by eating kimchi" has been scientifically proven through research. It was found that beneficial microorganisms in the gut increase, thereby treating obesity.
The World Kimchi Research Institute announced on the 22nd that kimchi induces the proliferation of beneficial gut microorganisms and improves obesity and obesity-induced neuroinflammation through a new mechanism of action.
Gut microorganisms are related to the regulation of the human immune system, metabolism, and energy supply, and when imbalanced, they cause various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome. In particular, obesity is known to induce chronic inflammation, which adversely affects brain health. Neuroinflammation, neuronal cell death, and damage to the blood-brain barrier are induced in the hypothalamus, the brain region that controls appetite.
Previous anti-obesity studies on kimchi using animal models utilized kimchi extracts or feed supplemented with freeze-dried kimchi. However, these methods differ from humans directly consuming fresh kimchi rich in lactic acid bacteria and nutrients, limiting the functional research of kimchi. Additionally, studies on the improvement effects and mechanisms of neuroinflammation induced by obesity through kimchi are insufficient.
Dr. Choi Hak-jong’s research team at the institute observed changes in gut microbial composition following fresh kimchi consumption in animal models to elucidate the anti-obesity mechanism of kimchi. When 120 mg of cabbage kimchi was orally administered six days a week for 10 weeks to mice induced with obesity by a high-fat diet, a 31.8% reduction in body fat and suppression of weight gain were confirmed. Moreover, neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier damage in the hypothalamus caused by obesity improved by about 39%. Notably, microbial community analysis confirmed an increase in the beneficial gut microorganism Akkermansia muciniphila. This bacterium, residing in the intestinal mucosa, secretes short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that reduce inflammation and is known as a representative beneficial gut symbiont that improves metabolic syndrome and obesity.
To verify whether kimchi induces the proliferation of beneficial gut microorganisms, the research team administered Akkermansia muciniphila to germ-free mice and then fed them kimchi. The results confirmed that kimchi helps the colonization of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut. The team stated, "We have succeeded for the first time in the world in elucidating the mechanism by which kimchi induces the proliferation of beneficial gut microorganisms that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), thereby improving obesity and obesity-induced neuroinflammation." They added, "This could be utilized to develop technologies for controlling obesity-related neuroinflammation through gut-brain axis regulation using kimchi, as well as treatments for obesity and metabolic diseases."
This research was published in ‘Food Research International (IF 7.425)’, an international journal ranked in the top 10% in the field of food science and technology.
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