It’s no secret that kimchi is a good-for-you type of food. But what kind of evidence can you give somebody who says, in true 3rd grade fashion, “Prove it.”? Kimchimonger to the rescue! Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be covering a few of the nutritional aspects of kimchi.
For our maiden voyage we chose to address the most talked about health element in kimchi: lactobacilli. While there are many microorganisms responsible for fermentation, this group of bacteria deserves much of the credit. In the right environment (closed, cool, briny), the lactobacilli present in kimchi’s raw ingredients naturally multiply and create lactic acid which gives kimchi its distinct “ripe” flavor and inhibits the growth of potentially bad microorganisms. Lactobacilli are essential to keeping the ol’ gastrointestinal tract clean and healthy–especially if you’ve wiped out your natural flora with a dietary cleanse or with a course of antibiotics. Research has shown that lactobacilli may even have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
So the next time somebody asks you “What’s kimchi?” and you say, “Stinky, spicy, fermented Korean vegetables,” and they say, “Ew, that sounds weird,” you can explain how kimchi gets delicious and why that deliciousness is good for you.
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