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8 Fermented Foods to Boost Digestion and Health

Kimchi

Kimchi is a popular Korean dish made from fermented cabbage. It can also be made by fermenting other vegetables like radishes with probiotic lactic acid bacteria. Many types of bacteria go into the fermentation process, but lactic acid bacteria are the most important.

This fermented vegetable has a lot of health benefits, especially for diabetic people. In a study [6], 21 people who had prediabetes were fed fresh or fermented kimchi for 8 weeks. The group given fermented kimchi reported a reduction in insulin resistance, blood pressure and body weight.

Another study [7] examined the effects of kimchi consumption on two groups for one week. One group consumed 210 g of kimchi a day while the second group ate only 15 grams daily. The findings revealed that the group which consumed more kimchi had lower blood sugar, blood cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.