NCT07435831

Kimchi and Gut Health

Kimchi and Gut Health - Kimchi Effects on the Human Gut Microbiome

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of California, Davis · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 19 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Healthy Adult Participants

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	60 grams per day of intervention food	Non-fermented cabbage
OTHER	60 grams per day of intervention food	Kimchi fermented cabbage

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-30
• Primary completion: 2027-01-30
• Completion: 2029-12-01
• First posted: 2026-02-27
• Last updated: 2026-04-02

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States