Gut Health
Kimchi
A spicy, fermented Korean cabbage dish that delivers live probiotic cultures alongside cabbage's own nutrient profile.
Gut Health
Immunity
Detox
Serving
1/2 cup (75g)
Calories Per Serving
11
Key nutrients
Probiotics, vitamin K, vitamin C, capsaicin
Nutrient density
Not officially rated
Why it’s worth eating
Kimchi is a traditional fermented vegetable dish packed with probiotics, vitamins C and K, and fiber. It supports digestive and immune health. Enjoy as a side or as a topping for rice and noodle bowls.
What you may notice
Digestive comfort
Cold/flu frequency
Markers worth tracking
Stool microbiome diversity (if tested)
Blood pressure
How to eat it
Choose unpasteurized, refrigerated kimchi, pasteurization (common in shelf-stable versions) kills the live probiotic cultures.
Pairs well with
Fiber-rich foods, prebiotic fiber feeds the probiotic bacteria in kimchi
Rice or grains, a traditional pairing that balances the spice and acidity
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container; it continues to ferment and grow more sour over weeks to months.
The numbers, per 1/2 cup (75g)
27%
Vitamin K
2%
Vitamin A
15%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
2%
Iron
3%
Magnesium
2%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
1.2g
Kimchi (FDC 842302)
Evidence
C
GENUINE TENSION an evidence-first database should not bury: lactic-acid bacteria and vegetable phytochemicals may help, but the sodium load and the salted-food association with gastric cancer are real, published and unresolved.
Study dose vs. serving
Pooled RR of gastric cancer 1.15 (95% CI 1.07-1.23) per 40 g/day increment in pickled-vegetable intake, dose-responsive. A 2002 case-control found some kimchi types associated with LOWER risk and high-salt types with HIGHER risk.
Kim SR, et al. Cancers. 2020;12(4):996. PMC7225928. Pooled Korean cohorts (KoGES, KMCC) plus prior prospective studies.
Use caution if
You're on a low-sodium diet, kimchi is typically high in sodium from the fermentation brine
You take MAOI medications, fermented foods can contain tyramine; check with a doctor
Details
Type
Season
Refrigerated, year-round
Forms
Fresh, aged, jarred
Price
Budget
Bioactive
Lactic-acid bacteria plus glucosinolates from napa cabbage
Heat stable
No - heat destroys live cultures
Watch
HIGH SODIUM: about 830 mg per 100 g, with Korean average intakes near 4,900 mg/day, over twice the WHO recommendation. A Korean attributable-fraction analysis estimated high salted-vegetable intake accounted for about 16% of gastric cancer cases.
Reliability
4 / 5
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