Daily kimchi versus cabbage for gut health in healthy adults
Official title: Kimchi and Gut Health - Kimchi Effects on the Human Gut Microbiome
Run by University of California, Davis · NCT07435831 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will see if eating kimchi daily changes gut bacteria and blood markers of gut and cardiometabolic health in healthy adults.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 19 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of California, Davis Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Davis, California and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 30, 2026 |
| Main results expected | January 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | December 2029 |
| Registry record updated | April 2, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07435831 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are healthy adults with BMI 25–30 who rarely eat kimchi (three or fewer times per week) and are willing to eat the assigned food daily, attend brief visits in Davis, CA, and avoid probiotics and recent antibiotics.
✕Probably not a fit
People with diagnosed digestive disorders (IBS, IBD, Crohn's), recent antibiotic use, allergies to cabbage or kimchi ingredients, daily kimchi consumers, or those who cannot attend in-person visits are unlikely to benefit from participating.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Healthy adults with BMI 25–30 are assigned to eat 60 g per day of either fermented cabbage (kimchi) or non-fermented cabbage for three weeks. Participants make up to five brief visits at the UC Davis Ragle Human Nutrition Center and provide blood and stool samples at the start and end of the feeding period. Investigators will analyze changes in stool microbiome composition, metabolic outputs, and blood biomarkers related to gut and cardiometabolic health, and participants will keep occasional food records. Antibiotic and probiotic use are controlled by exclusion and washout requirements to limit outside influence on the microbiome.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could inform simple dietary recommendations to improve gut microbial balance and related health markers.
How similar studies have gone: Prior small studies of fermented foods have shown that they can alter gut microbes and sometimes biomarkers, but the specific effects of kimchi versus unfermented cabbage remain relatively untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 * No or occasional consumption of kimchi (3 or fewer times per week) * Willing to eat study food every day for 3 weeks * Willing to participate in study protocols Exclusion Criteria: * Allergy to cabbage and /or cruciferous family vegetables * Allergy to kimchi ingredients such as shellfish and fish sauce * Daily consumption of kimchi * Diagnosed digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastrointestinal inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or conditions such as Crohn's disease * Previous bowel surgery that disrupts the digestive flow, motility or gastric emptying process * Antibiotics used in the 2 months prior to enrollment * Unwillingness to discontinue probiotics during study and washout period * Active diagnosis and/or treatment for cancer
Where it's running
-
Ragle Human Nutrition Center
Davis, California, United States Recruiting -
UC Davis Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center
Davis, California, United States Recruiting
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.