Clin Nutr Res.  2014 Jul;3(2):98-105. 10.7762/cnr.2014.3.2.98.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Kimchi in Chinese Healthy College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Lee H
• Kim DY
• Lee MA
• Jang JY
• Choue R

• KMID: 2279555
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7762/cnr.2014.3.2.98

Abstract

This study examined the potential immunomodulatory effects of Kimchi, a traditional fermented Korean vegetable, in healthy Chinese college students. The four-week clinical-trial (randomized, open-label, prospective, controlled) was followed by a one week wash-out period. Healthy Chinese college students (over 20 years of age with a body mass index of 18.5-23.0 kg/m2) volunteered for this study. Forty-three students were randomly classified into two groups, Kimchi (n = 21, supplemented with 100 g of Kimchi per day) or non-Kimchi (n = 22, supplemented with 100 g of radish per day, control) groups. During the four-week intervention period, students were asked to maintain their usual diet and activity, and instructed not to take any medications, functional food products, or dietary supplements. Anthropometrics, nutritional intake, and blood immune parameters (lymphocyte subsets, cytokines, and immunoglobulins) were measured before and after the four weeks of intervention. Thirty-nine students (19 in the Kimchi group, 20 in the non-Kimchi group) finished the study. After the intervention, no significant changes were observed in lymphocyte subsets (T-cell, B-cell, NK cell), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha), anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10), and immunoglobulins (Ig A, G, and M) between groups in either the Kimchi or non-Kimchi. These results suggest that the short-term consumption of Kimchi has no immunomodulatory effects in healthy Chinese college students.

Keyword

Immunomodulation; Fermentation; Kimchi; Randomized Controlled Trial; Chinese

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
B-Lymphocytes
Body Mass Index
Cytokines
Diet
Dietary Supplements
Fermentation
Functional Food
Humans
Immunoglobulins
Immunomodulation
Lymphocyte Subsets
Prospective Studies
Raphanus
Vegetables
Cytokines
Immunoglobulins

Figure

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  Figure 1 Comparison of nutrient intakes with KDRIs†. *Significant differences were shown between groups by independent t-test at p < 0.05. †KDRIs: dietary reference intake for Koreans, 2010.

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  Figure 2 Lymphocyte subsets (T, B, and NK cell) at baseline and after 4 weeks. *Values are significantly different from the baseline values by paired t-test at p < 0.05. †Significant differences were shown between the groups by independent t-test at p < 0.05.

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  Figure 3 Blood levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-10) at baseline and after 4-weeks. No differences were shown between groups by independent t-test at p < 0.05. *Values are significantly different from the baseline values by paired t-test at p < 0.05.

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