It feels great when you have finally found a diet that perfectly fits your preferences and goals. But sometimes, it may be challenging to follow all the requirements of that diet, especially if you are not sure if you are allowed to consume certain foods or not. It is extremely difficult if the food you are doubting is well-known for its health benefits, and usually is allowed in other diets. That is why, sometimes questions like: “is kimchi keto?” appear.
The word Keto comes from the term “ketogenic”. The main principle of this diet is to reduce the intake of carbohydrates, in other words, it’s a very low-carb diet. You are to consume more calories from healthy fats and protein. Following a Keto diet, you should avoid sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread. Ketosis is a state when your body runs out of sugar and starts to burn fats in order to fuel your body with energy. The keto diet is a short-term process focused mainly on shedding pounds and is not recommended for a long period (11).
Besides its weight-loss effects, this nutritional plan is packed with other potential health benefits (12, 11). For instance, it may:
Despite its high efficiency in weight loss and numerous health benefits, a long-term keto diet may have certain harmful side-effects (12, 10):
That is why, people with certain health conditions should avoid the keto diet. So, if you suffer from eating disorders, pancreatitis or kidney disease, or if you are dependent on insulin, pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not incorporate keto diet into your nutritional plan.
For those who are into South Korean culture and cuisine, kimchi is touted as an inseparable symbol of Korea. And really, it is impossible to imagine a life in South Korea without kimchi. So, what exactly is it, and is kimchi keto?
Basically, kimchi is a fermented vegetable (5). There are different kinds of kimchi, made of different vegetables, such as napa cabbage, Korean radish, cucumber, eggplant, bamboo shoot, soybean sprouts, perilla leaves and lots of others. The most popular are the first two. Every Korean family has their own recipe for this traditional dish, that’s why the seasoning can vary greatly from one to another. Usually it includes garlic, ginger root, young green onion, chili powder, kelp, and salted seafood (8). Sometimes people add apples, pears, shrimps, anchovies, honey, fish sauce, and many other components to the seasoning.
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Usually it is served as a side dish, almost to everything. Some Koreans consider it to be one of the main ingredients while cooking an instant noodle soup – ramen. It also can be among the ingredients of such dishes as:
Due to the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which is involved in the process of fermentation, this popular dish is filled to the brim with probiotics. 100 grams (3,5 ounce) of cabbage kimchi contain the following:
Besides that, it is rich in such vital nutrients as vitamins A, C, K, E, folate, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and others (8, 3). Due to all the nutrients, kimchi possesses antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, probiotic properties, cholesterol reduction, and anti-aging properties (6).
All the properties of kimchi make its consumption highly beneficial for health (5). Here is how kimchi can add to your wellbeing:
Kimchi contains a lot of nutrients and probiotics and is low in calories. It can be a great addition to your diet, and can help you slim down effectively. Studies show that it boosts the process of weight loss and helps to fight obesity (4).
As kimchi is rich in probiotics it can improve your metabolism, digestive processes and intestinal microflora balance. Probiotics add to the good bacteria in the lining of your intestines and prevent gut inflammation and other intestinal problems (9, 1).
A research conducted by Korean scientists shows that kimchi possesses anti-atherosclerotic effects, due to its lipid-lowering, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities (2).
One more benefit of kimchi’s anti-inflammatory effect is that it could help to prevent various serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. Research shows that regular consumption of this dish significantly decreases blood sugar and total cholesterol, high levels of which adds to the risk of the previously mentioned diseases (7).
And now, with all the provided keto and kimchi information, the main question is: is kimchi keto? As you already know, kimchi is a great choice for weight loss. It is rich in nutrients and probiotics, and low in calories. However, it may be confusing whether this Korean side dish fits into keto diet standards. Although most of its calories are from carbs, kimchi is relatively low in them, which means that you can consume it without knocking yourself out of ketosis. However, it is better to consume homemade kimchi, as certain brands may add extra carb-rich components, including sugars.
Read More: 30 Day Keto Challenge: Will Upping Your Fat Intake Help You Lose Weight?
You can buy ready-to-eat kimchi at the store, or order it on the internet, but if you want to, you can make it yourself. Making kimchi steals quite a lot of time, so people usually make it at once in big amounts. The following recipe is for one big jar of kimchi. You can modify the recipe by substituting some of the Korean ingredients. You can also adjust the spiciness, by adding less chili pepper flakes, to make it milder, or more to make it hotter. So, without further ado, here is how to make traditional kimchi at home:
There are lots of diets that focus on shedding pounds. The low-carb keto diet is one of them. Besides its weight loss effects, it has a lot of potential health benefits, if followed for a short period. And, on the other hand, there is kimchi – nutrient-rich, low in calories, packed with probiotics Korean fermented vegetables. Numerous studies showed that regular consumption of this side-dish can significantly improve your health. However, most of its calories come from carbs. So, is kimchi keto? Yes, it is, but make sure to check the label for the amount of carbs when you buy it, or even better – make it yourself at home.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!