Vegetable-based diets have generally focused on their health benefits including negative associations with the serum cholesterol concentrations. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum lipid concentrations are influenced by the amount of kimchi intake. For the study, 100 volunteers were assigned to 2 dietary groups, low (15 g/day, n = 50) and high (210 g/day, n = 50) kimchi intake, and were housed together in a dormitory for 7 days. Identical meals except with different amount of kimchi were provided and subjects were instructed to maintain their normal physical activity. Concentrations of fasting blood glucose (FBG), total glucose, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-C significantly decreased in both groups after 7 days of kimchi intake, but the effects were dose dependent. Lipid lowering effects of kimchi were more profound in the subjects with total cholesterol and LDL-C level over 190 and 130 mg/dL, respectively, in both groups. FBG was significantly decreased in the high kimchi intake as compared to the low intake group (P = .003). In conclusion, greater consumption of kimchi improved FBG and serum total cholesterol in young healthy adults.

Baechu (Brassica campestris var. pekinensis) was salted in 29.6% brine at 30°C for 4 hours on mobile automatic salting equipment (MASE) with brine circulation four times, and the quality of MASE salted kimchi was compared with that of general factory salted kimchi (control, 12% brine, 10°C, 16 hr) for 5 weeks. Salinity, acidity and number of lactic acid bacteria of MASE kimchi were higher than those of control at 2.5%, 1.17%, and 8.38 log CFU/g, compared to 1.5%, 1.00%, and 2.68 log CFU/g, respectively, whereas reducing sugar content and texture were not significantly different. Overall quality of sensory evaluation was higher than 4.0 in MASE kimchi compared to lower than 4.0 in the control, and taste was significantly higher (P<0.01). The quality of kimchi salted at high salt concentration and high temperature for a short time was higher than those salted at low salt concentration and low temperature for a long time. Higher productivity in the Baechu salting process can be achieved by shortening salting time with MASE.

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This study was conducted to estimate the contents of heavy metals in salted vegetable foods from diverse origin in Korea which were sold in Korea. The levels of heavy metals were determined using an ICP-MS. The values of metals [minimum~maximum (mean), mg/kg] in kimchi were as follows; Pb 0.0~0.074(0.018), Cd 0.0~0.027 (0.004), As 0.0~0.024(0.002), Hg 0~0.002(0.0). The weekly average intakes of lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury from kimchi take 0.06~0.13% PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes) that the FAO/WHO Joint Food Additive and Contaminants Committee has set to evaluate their safeties.

No abstract