Revisiting the potential anti-obesity effects of kimchi and lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi: a lustrum of evidence

Abstract

Kimchi, a renowned and culturally significant Korean dish, has gained global recognition as a superfood due to its abundant nutritional content and positive impact on human health. The process of producing kimchi involves the fermentation of various vegetables using lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The primary genera of kimchi LAB encompass Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Weissella. Impressively, kimchi comes in over 200 varieties with cruciferous vegetables as its main ingredients, complemented by a range of secondary ingredients that contribute to its nutritional and holistic health benefits. These secondary ingredients include salted fish, ginger, garlic, and red pepper powder. Due to its various functional properties, kimchi has attracted considerable interest. Kimchi has been extensively studied, and its recognized health benefits, including anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, neuroprotection, anti-allergic, regulation of immunological responses, and many more, have been covered in many review papers. A current literature review regarding the anti-obesity properties of kimchi and kimchi LAB is currently lacking. Therefore, the present review has directed its attention towards the literature concerning the anti-obesity properties of kimchi and LAB derived from kimchi over the last five years.