Kimchi
Overview
Kimchi is a Korean fermented vegetable dish that provides live probiotics, GABA, and postbiotic compounds supporting gut-brain axis communication and neurotransmitter balance.
Within the BRAIN Diet framework, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, miso, and kombucha provide live microbes + postbiotic peptides; improved SCFA pools; vagal signaling [1][2].
Key Nutritional Highlights
- Kimchi and lacto-fermented vegetables deliver live lactic acid bacteria and organic acids [1]
- Fermented vegetables contribute postbiotic metabolites relevant to gut–brain axis modulation [2]
- Kimchi is a Korean fermented vegetable dish that provides live probiotics, GABA, and postbiotic compounds supporting gut-brain axis communication and neurotransmitter balance. [1]
- Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, miso, and kombucha provide live microbes + postbiotic peptides; improved SCFA pools; vagal signaling. [2]
- Kimchi is a Korean fermented vegetable dish that provides live probiotics, GABA, and postbiotic compounds supporting gut-brain axis communication and neurotransmitter balance.
Food Context
Synergies
- Part of diverse fermented foods rotation
Preparation
- Consume unpasteurized for live probiotics
- Regular but not excessive intake
Recipes
1 recipe containing this food
Savoury Greens & Egg Breakfast Skillet
A warm savoury breakfast skillet with eggs, greens, and slow carbohydrates for steady morning energy.
Nutrient Tables (per 100 g)
Core nutrients
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g | % RDA per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 15 kcal | — |
| Protein | 1.1 g | — |
| Total fat | 0.5 g | — |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | — |
| Carbohydrates | 2.4 g | — |
| Sugars | 1.1 g | — |
| Fibre | 1.6 g | — |
Bioactive compounds
Explicitly identified compounds, including individual fatty acids, with a defensible quantity or an explicit qualitative status. Asterisks (*) identify supplementary sources below. Unquantified or trace constituents are not automatically admitted to the Substances list.
| Compound / class | Amount per 100 g | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin K2 | Present — quantity not established * | — |
- * Vitamin K2: Kimchi is a documented dietary source of menaquinones (vitamin K2). USDA SR Legacy reports phylloquinone (vitamin K1), not K2, so K2 quantity is not established here.
Substances
Substances admitted through a supported nutrition-table row. Not every table row appears here. Cards are not BRS mappings.
1 substance in this food
Vitamin K2 (MK forms)
Calcium handling; potential roles in brain health; often co-occurs with fat-soluble vitamins
References
[1] Kimchi and lacto-fermented vegetables deliver live lactic acid bacteria and organic acids. Jakobi et al. 2024. The gut-microbiome in adult Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder - A Meta-analysis
[2] Fermented vegetables contribute postbiotic metabolites relevant to gut–brain axis modulation. Antony et al. 2023. Gut microbiome supplementation as therapy for metabolic syndrome