Volume 30, Issue 167, January 2026

The role of kimchi in modulating gut microbiota diversity and supporting gastrointestinal health

Gabriela Ragan^1♦, Oliwia Cecelska¹, Julia Niedźwiecka¹, Aleksandra Korżel¹, Ewelina Roksana Wojna¹, Jędrzej Mogilany¹, Kamil Źródłowski¹, Karolina Górowska¹, Patrycja Anita Kobrzyńska², Natalia Cegielska¹

¹Medical University of Lodz, 4 Tadeusza Kościuszki St., 90-419 Łódź, Poland
²University Clinical Hospital No. 2 of the Medical University of Lodz, 113 Stefana Żeromskiego St., 90-549 Łódź, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Gabriela Ragan, Medical University of Lodz, 4 Tadeusza Kościuszki St., 90-419 Łódź, Poland

ABSTRACT

Fermented foods have been an essential part of the human diet for thousands of years. One of the most popular Korean fermented foods is kimchi. It consists of diverse ingredients and is produced via fermentation by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). A cabbage is a key ingredient in kimchi. Kimchi ingredients are divided into essential and optional ingredients. Basic ingredients, including cabbage, garlic, red pepper, and radish, are correlated with the composition of microbial community. Kimchi cabbage parts, leaves and roots, contain different amounts of principal and trace elements. Personal preferences, region of production, and tradition influence the choice of optional ingredients. Various ingredients, parts of vegetables and the abundance of elements positively impact gastrointestinal health and intestinal flora differently. Kimchi’s healthimproving abilities also depend on appropriate preparation and environmental conditions of fermentation. High temperature (10-15 °C) of fermentation increases the level of the largest genus within the LAB group – Lactobacillus. The type of salt which is a crucial kimchi component impacts on bacteria composition. Regular kimchi consumption delivers diverse LAB strains, dietary fibre, vitamins, proteins participating in immunological processes, improves gastrointestinal health state and modifies gut microbiota. It positively impacts on gastrointestinal barrier, mucus secretion, combating with infections and pathogene and overall health. Additionally, it supports cardiovascular health and cholesterol reduction, and it has immunological, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-obesity, and probiotic properties. This review aims to explain how kimchi, through its production, fermentation conditions, LAB, ingredients, and different vegetable parts, beneficially affects gastrointestinal health and gut microbiota.

Keywords: Kimchi, intestinal flora, gastrointestinal health, lactic acid bacteria, fermented food

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e10ms3808

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v30i167.e10ms3808

Published: 21 January 2026