Kimchi and Gut Health

Purpose

The goal of this study is to learn about the effects of eating kimchi on the gut health of healthy adults in the USA. The investigators will be researching the changes in the gut microbiome, biomarkers of gut health and cardiometabolic health after consuming fermented and unfermented cabbage. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does eating kimchi (fermented cabbage) result in enrichment of lactic acid bacteria in the stools of participants? Does eating kimchi result in metabolic changes in the gut microbiome, biomarkers of gut and cardiometabolic health of participants? Researchers will compare a group of participants eating fermented cabbage (kimchi) daily to a group of participants eating non-fermented cabbage daily. Participants will: Eat kimchi or cabbage daily for 3 weeks. Visit the study site for brief visits up to 5 times. Have blood drawn and provide a fecal sample 2 times - at beginning and end of the 3 week study. Keep occasional records of food intake and questionnaires about any gastrointestinal symptoms that participants may have.

Condition

  • Healthy Adult Participants

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 19 Years and 70 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 - No or occasional consumption of kimchi (3 or fewer times per week) - Willing to eat study food every day for 3 weeks - Willing to participate in study protocols

Exclusion Criteria

  • Allergy to cabbage and /or cruciferous family vegetables - Allergy to kimchi ingredients such as shellfish and fish sauce - Daily consumption of kimchi - Diagnosed digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastrointestinal inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or conditions such as Crohn's disease - Previous bowel surgery that disrupts the digestive flow, motility or gastric emptying process - Antibiotics used in the 2 months prior to enrollment - Unwillingness to discontinue probiotics during study and washout period - Active diagnosis and/or treatment for cancer

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
Single (Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Kimchi
  • Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food
    Kimchi fermented cabbage
Active Comparator
Cabbage
  • Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food
    Non-fermented cabbage

Recruiting Locations

Ragle Human Nutrition Center
Davis, California 95616
Contact:
Francene Steinberg, PhD
530-752-0120
fmsteinberg@ucdavis.edu

UC Davis Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center
Davis, California 95616
Contact:
Francene Steinberg, PhD
530-752-0160
fmsteinberg@ucdavis.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
University of California, Davis

Study Contact