Love Korean Soap Opera or Kpop? You are not yet a true fan if haven’t tried the Korean most proud signature dish, Kimchi. I’ve tried it, cooked it and yes, it is one of my favorite foods on the planet. Do you know that Kimchi does have a lot of
health benefits for your skin, immune system, heart and even anticancer? Find out more and discover a healthy dish from Korea.
What is Kimchi?
This is a Korean traditional fermented delicacy and made from
vegetables, spices and seasonings. It called the national dish of Korea and it’s been in Korean community for ages. It is fermented, and have no preservatives whatsoever, but it is such an amazing food because it remains safe for human consumption.
“Shimchae” which is a Korean word for “salting the vegetables” is where the term “kimchi” came from. Its origin is in the 7th century from Korea. In early days, it was merely vegetables with salt, but gradually the Korean modernized and add some spices into it around the 18th century.
The Koreans need
kimchi as their vegetable supply during the winter. The cold weather made any cultivation so impossible to survive and this storage method for vegetable keeps them enjoying their balanced meal all year. Over the centuries, the alterations and additions of Kimchi had been made but the cooking method still remains the same as it used to be.
Nutritional Value of Kimchi
As you know, Kimchi is from the
vegetables. It is proven a low-calorie food, high in fiber and full of nutrient. It provides you with Vitamin A, B, and C, minerals such as calcium, iron, and selenium, and it has a very powerful anti-aging properties. Other healthful components are such as chlorophyll, low fat, low sugar, full of
carotenoids, and isothiocyanates. Here are the health benefits of Kimchi.
Health Benefits of Kimchi
After several years of multimillion research of Kimchi, this dish is proven to be a great source to improve cardiovascular health, skin, digestive system, preventing cancer and help in weight loss. It is full of
antioxidant and this feature is the key for the great healing effects especially like obesity, diabetes, cancer, skin aging and gastric ulcers. These major health benefits are supported by several scientists and researchers all around the world.
Digestive health: You will not having any digestion problem if you have Kimchi as your regular side dish. It is a good food to promote a healthy digestion. Kimchi is a fermented food and during the fermentation a healthy bacteria called lactobacillus (like in your famous yogurt drink) is very well enhanced. Kimchi is made from cabbage which is also good for detoxification and improves the removal of toxin and wastes in the body and intestinal area. Other than cleaning the intestine and let your body absorbing the nutrients better, the fiber in Kimchi also preventing you from constipation and promote a
healthy bowel movement.
Cholesterol: If you have a high cholesterol level, a regular consumption of this Korean dish will settle your health problem. It has a component called allicin and Kimchi is full of allicin because garlic is one of the main ingredients in making Kimchi. Allicin does lower the cholesterol level and reduce your risk of cardiac failure and preventing atherosclerosis in your heart.
Antioxidants: An Antioxidant property definitely famous among the fruits but now Kimchi is one of the most potential sources of powerful antioxidants. Kimchi has antioxidants component like phenols and
flavonoids that effective in protecting your skin cells from free radical damages. So, this is one of anti-aging food that you should consider.
Atopic dermatitis: Lactobacillus is not only for a healthy digestion but it can offer you a therapeutic effect to treat any skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, edema, and hemorrhage. Pretty impressive, right? How it works is by suppressing the ailment factor and reduces the inflammation to keep your skin in its best and healthy condition.
Anti-obesity: How can you be an obese person if you intake this food in a daily basis? It is impossible because even in a side dishes quantity, a regular consumption of Kimchi can promote a very healthy digestive system and lowering your cholesterol. The fiber will prevent you from over-eating and hungry feeling, and your blood sugar level will be in a healthy level. Kimchi will never let your body be
overweight.
Immune system: When the food is high in antioxidant properties that mean it is a very good food for the immune system as well. The flavonoids and phenolic components are also working as the immune stimulator and booster to your body. Other ingredients that also supporting this property is ginger, garlic, and peppers which are very well known as anticancer, immune booster and antioxidants. Your body will heal faster when you have a cold or flu is you are a regular Kimchi eater.
Anti-aging properties: Anti-aging and antioxidants are two components that you can’t separate. Kimchi does contain a lot of vitamin C that essential for anti-aging effects. The antioxidants properties in Kimchi potentially reduce the aging process and protect your skin from oxidative damages. It is also preventing your skin from inhibition of lipid peroxidation and let your skin look younger than your real age.
Cancer: This is one of anticancer food of the planet. It helps to reduce the risk of various cancers because of the ability in protecting your cells from peroxidation and free radical damages. It prevents your cell from turning into a cancer cell by its antioxidant component and prevents the growth of cell cancer. Cabbage which is the main ingredients of Kimchi contains
glucosinolate which is a very powerful agent in fighting cancer. All of this goodness will be yours just by making your own Kimchi and regularly consuming it.
Diabetes: A diabetic patient who changes his eating way and consuming Kimchi regularly shows a successful result in lowering blood sugar, body fat, cholesterol level, and body weight. Eating Kimchi with proteins such as red meat will give you a balanced diet and you still can enjoy your medium size of steak without worry about becoming diabetic.
Gastric ulcers: Another good bacteria in Kimchi is the Helicobacter pylori. This bacteria inhibits any harmful pathogens that can connect to the gastric cancer cells in human. At the same time, it prevents you from gastric ulcers.
Curing Flu: Kimchi with its health benefit also beneficial in curing flu such as
avian influenza and other viral diseases. Various studies proved the nutrient in Kimchi does help in improving immunity and fighting diseases caused by virus.
You Can Have It Regularly Not Excessively
Anything that good for you will be bad if you take it excessively, including Kimchi. Excessive intake will cause:
Poor Digestive health: Excessive consumption will lead to
gastric cancer development because of your body become susceptible to a large amount of fiber. You probably end up bloating and causing gas.
Cardiac functions and high blood pressure: Kimchi does use salt as its name that derived from “salting the vegetables”. So the high amount of salt in your body due to excessive consumption of Kimchi will lead to poor cardiac functions and increasing high blood pressure.
The Conclusion
The health benefits of
Kimchi as an anticancer food,
anti-mutagenic, anti-aging and anti-bacterial will help you in staying young, healthy and cancer-free. The good bacteria will promote a healthy digestion and the antioxidant will preserve the youngness of your skin. It is also a healthy food to lower the cholesterol level and promote a better immunity.
