Kimchi, South Korea’s traditional fermented cabbage dish, could help mitigate coronavirus symptoms, a recent study showed.

The research was jointly conducted by the government-funded World Institute of Kimchi and Jean Bousquet, an honorary professor of Pulmonary Medicine at Montpellier University, France.

The study found that the intake of kimchi could lead to a milder case of the coronavirus due to the bioactive compounds present in the dish. A metabolite result from fermentation, the compounds contain properties to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.

Kimchi is typically made with Napa cabbage and a variety of spices including garlic, ginger and chili, often aged for weeks or even months before serving.

The ingredients, as well as probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria, work to enhance the antioxidant defense system in the human body and helps alleviate coronavirus symptoms.

The joint research also looked into correlations between low fatalities and national dietary differences. It found that the people in regions with very low fatality rates of COVID-19 eat large quantities of fermented vegetables, such as cabbage and various spices.

The research was published in the journal Clinical and Translational Allergy’s December issue.

Meanwhile, World Institute of Kimchi said kimchi’s effects against COVID-19 are being researched by many local institutes, including the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and Jeonbuk National University.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)