Effects of kimchi consumption on body fat and intestinal microbiota in overweight participants: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center clinical trial

• First randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on kimchi’s anti-obesity effects. • Kimchi consumption significantly reduces body fat and improves lipid profiles. • Kimchi, rich in probiotics, studied for its ability to influence gut microbiota. • Kimchi intake increases A. muciniphila and reduces Proteobacteria, mitigating obesity. Obesity is caused by an energy imbalance and leads to metabolic syndrome and diseases. The gut microbiota, influenced by diet, crucially impacts obesity. Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food rich in lactic acid bacteria, may alter gut microbiota composition. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 90 participants (BMI 23–30 kg/m 2 ) to investigate the anti-obesity effects of kimchi. Participants consumed 3000 mg of spontaneously fermented kimchi powder (S-K) or starter-fermented kimchi powder with Leuconostoc mesenteroides KCKM0828 (LMS-K) daily for 12 weeks, while the placebo group consumed lactose. Both the S-K and LMS-K groups exhibited a significant reduction in body fat mass compared to the placebo group (S-K: p = 0.004, LMS-K: p = 0.003). Kimchi consumption also increased the proportion of Akkermansia muciniphila while decreasing that of Proteobacteria. Cumulatively, these findings suggest that daily kimchi consumption may alleviate obesity symptoms by regulating gut microbiota.