New research shows that kimchi not only helps boost the immune system but also has the ability to regulate the body's immune responses.
With seasonal respiratory infections like colds and flu on the rise, scientific interest is shifting from foods that simply “boost” immunity to foods that can precisely modulate immune responses.
Accordingly, researchers at the World Kimchi Institute have stated that, for the first time at the single-cell level, kimchi has been shown to subtly regulate the human immune system.
According to reports from ScienceDaily and other science news sites, a research team led by Lee Woo-jae at the World Kimchi Institute – a research institute funded by the South Korean government – has published clinical and genetic analysis results showing that kimchi consumption affects the function and balance of immune cells.
The research team emphasized that kimchi does not trigger an overreaction of the immune response, but rather enhances defenses against pathogens and inhibits excessive immune responses, clearly demonstrating its immunomodulatory effects.
The study was conducted over 12 weeks with 39 overweight adults, divided into three groups: a placebo group, a group using naturally fermented kimchi powder, and a group using kimchi powder fermented with probiotics.
Following the intervention phase, the mononuclear cells in the peripheral blood were collected and analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing. This method allows for monitoring changes in gene expression at the level of individual immune cells, thereby detecting subtle functional alterations that conventional immunological markers struggle to reflect.
Analysis results showed that in the kimchi-consuming group, the function of antigen-presenting cells, which play a role in identifying bacteria and viruses and initiating an immune response, was enhanced.
Simultaneously, CD4-positive T cells demonstrate a balanced differentiation between cells involved in immune defense and cells with inhibitory functions, regulating the immune response. This suggests that kimchi helps generate an effective defense response when needed without overstimulating the immune system.
Speaking about the research results, Lee Woo-jae said that through the analysis of individual cells, the research team had for the first time demonstrated the dual effect of kimchi: both activating the immune system for protection and inhibiting excessive immune responses.
In the future, the group plans to expand international research collaboration to further clarify the link between kimchi, probiotics, and immune and metabolic health.
According to the research team, these findings could be applied in the development of functional foods for healthcare, and could open up new approaches to reducing the risk of immune-related diseases and enhancing the effectiveness of vaccines.
According to the Korea Times