Contrasting effects of fresh and fermented kimchi consumption on gut microbiota composition and gene expression related to metabolic syndrome in obese Korean women

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests relationship of compositional changes of gut microbiota with onset of metabolic disorders and obesity. Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish, is known for its beneficial impact on metabolic parameters and anti-obesity effects. The current study was designed to evaluate the association between gut microbiota and human genome after kimchi intervention in an effort to understand the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the antiobesity impact of kimchi. Twenty-four obese women were randomly assigned to either fresh or fermented kimchi group for eight weeks of kimchi intervention. Pyrosequencing of fecal microbiota and microarray analyses of blood samples revealed that fresh and fermented kimchi interventions exerted differential effects on the obesity-related clinical parameters. Correlations of these effects with changes in blood gene expression and gut microbial population were more evident in the fermented kimchi group than the fresh kimchi group.

Microbiomes in respiratory health and disease: An Asia‐Pacific perspective

“…) . Other studies have linked fermented foods such as Japanese fermented milk products and Korean kimchi to specific alterations in the microbiota including increased abundance of such Bifidobacteria …”

“…51 Other studies have linked fermented foods such as Japanese fermented milk products and Korean kimchi to specific alterations in the microbiota including increased abundance of such Bifidobacteria. 56,57 Commensal Bifidobacteria can induce altered immune responses and are abundant in early life among Western populations but decline with age. 58,59 As the sustained prevalence of this bacterial group represents the most discernible difference between Asia-Pacific and Western microbiomes, it is interesting to speculate about its potential contribution to geographic variability in the rates of inflammatory diseases including those of the respiratory system.…”

Anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects of synthetic acetic acid vinegar and Nipa vinegar on high-fat-diet-induced obese mice

“…The resulting fermented food, which is known to be healthy and beneficial, has been shown to possess enhanced nutritional value and health benefits because of the production of unique organic compounds and secondary metabolites by microbiological action 4 . For example, fermented food has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-obesity effects through altering gut microbiota composition and the expression of genes related to metabolic syndrome 5 . Among these fermented foods, vinegar, an acidic food seasoning, has recently received substantial attention because it was shown to exhibit multiple bioactivities, including anti-hypercholesterolaemia, anti-hyperglycaemia, anti-hypertension, anti-microbial, anti-thrombotic and even anti-cancer effects 6 .…”

Association of dietary patterns with the fecal microbiota in Korean adolescents

“…Of these, diet is considered a key contributor to the diversity of the gut microbiota, explaining 57% of the total structural variation, while only 12% is related to genetic differences [10]. Therefore, many studies have focused on the relationship between the gut microbiota and dietary factors, such as dietary pattern (vegetarian and Western) [11,12], specific foods (whole grain products, fruits, and vegetables) [13][14][15][16][17], and food constituents (dietary fiber, fat, and protein) [8,[18][19][20]. Interestingly, a recent study showed that European children who consumed a typical Western diet had a microbiota enriched in Firmicutes and Enterobacteriaceae, whereas rural African children, who consumed a diet low in fat and animal protein and rich in plant-based foods, had greater abundances of the genera Bacteroidetes and Prevotella [7].…”