I remember watching a series on obesity in the United States. A Korean doctor travelled back to Korea, her birthplace, and noted the Koreans were huge eaters but obesity was rare. She credited it to the great amount of kimchi they ate. Looks like she was right!

Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2020 Jun; 35(2): 425–434.Published online 2020 Jun 30. doi: 10.3803/EnM.2020.35.2.425PMCID: PMC7386112PMID: 32615727

Effect of Lactobacillus sakei, a Probiotic Derived from Kimchi, on Body Fat in Koreans with Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Study

Soo Lim,¹Ji Hye Moon,¹Chol Min Shin,¹Dahye Jeong,² and Bongjoon Kim³Author informationArticle notesCopyright and License informationDisclaimerThis article has been cited by other articles in PMC.Go to:

Abstract

Background

The increased prevalence of obesity has led to increases in the prevalence of chronic diseases worldwide. There is interest whether probiotics have an effect on obesity, but the effectiveness and safety of only a few probiotics for the treatment of obesity have been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ingestion of Lactobacillus sakei (CJLS03) derived from kimchi causes weight loss in people with obesity.

Methods

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial involved 114 adults with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m² who were assigned randomly to a CJLS03 or placebo group. The groups received two allocations of either 5×10⁹ colony-forming units of CJLS03/allocation or the equivalent vehicle for 12 weeks. Demographic and biochemical parameters, and body composition including fat and muscle mass were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Changes in body fat, weight, and waist circumference were compared between the two treatment groups. Adverse events were monitored during study period.

Results

Body fat mass decreased by 0.2 kg in the CJLS03 group and increased by 0.6 kg in the placebo group (0.8 kg difference, P=0.018). After the 12 weeks, waist circumference was 0.8 cm smaller in the CJLS03 group than in the placebo group (P=0.013). BMI and body weight did not change after the 12 weeks. Adverse events were mild and did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusion

These data suggest that L. sakei (CJLS03) might help people with obesity reduce body fat mass without serious side effects (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03248414).Keywords: Lactobacillus sakei, Probiotics, Obesity, Body fatGo to: