Kimchi and COVID-19

Citizens visiting the '2019 Seoul Kimchi Festival' held at Seoul Plaza on the 1st are tasting kimchi. The opening event scheduled for that day was postponed to the 2nd due to fine dust. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] "Is kimchi effective in preventing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection?"

Several months after COVID-19 infiltrated our lives, questions are being raised about the preventive effects of kimchi against COVID-19. Overseas, studies analyzing the correlation between the number of deaths in various countries and their diets have been published, and domestically, efficacy verification is underway through actual animal experiments. Does the antiviral efficacy of kimchi also work against COVID-19?

Preventing COVID-19 Infection? Investigating the Efficacy of Kimchi

The research team led by Dr. Minseong Kwon at the World Kimchi Research Institute has been conducting a 10-month study since last month on the topic of "The antiviral efficacy of kimchi against COVID-19." This may seem challenging or somewhat far-fetched. However, the team has already proven the antiviral efficacy of kimchi against influenza and believes it can sufficiently affect COVID-19 as well.

The research team is focusing on the lactic acid bacteria in kimchi. They suggest that certain lactic acid bacteria in kimchi may have the ability to neutralize the spike protein, which contains sugar components that allow COVID-19 to penetrate cells. COVID-19 infection occurs through the binding of the spike protein to ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) present on the membranes of our body’s cells.

In particular, although COVID-19 is known as a respiratory disease, digestive symptoms such as diarrhea have been reported as major symptoms in patients, and studies show that ACE2 is also widely distributed in digestive organs. This has led the research team to consider it necessary to verify the efficacy of kimchi.

Verification of kimchi’s efficacy involves not only the Kimchi Research Institute but also related national research institutions such as the Institute of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at Jeonbuk National University, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology. After the Kimchi Research Institute extracts the expected active substances from kimchi, these institutions verify efficacy using research coronaviruses or COVID-19-infected animals.

Already Drawing Attention Overseas

Kimchi’s efficacy is also gaining attention overseas. Recently, the research team led by Professor Jean Bousquet, Emeritus Professor of Pulmonology at the University of Montpellier in France, analyzed the correlation between COVID-19 death tolls and regional dietary differences, finding that countries primarily consuming fermented cabbage had fewer deaths. Professor Bousquet is a world-renowned expert in respiratory and allergy fields and served as president of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD).

He focused on the fact that countries consuming fermented cabbage had lower COVID-19 death rates. He also noted that fermented cabbage is a food that reduces ACE2 activity or has antioxidant effects (immune enhancement), which may have influenced COVID-19 infection.

This observation is not new. During the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which is in the same family as COVID-19, South Korea had few confirmed cases (three), and kimchi attracted attention as a possible factor.

However, the actual effects of kimchi are expected to be known only several months after the Kimchi Research Institute releases its research results. Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, recently said at a regular briefing, "During the 2003 SARS outbreak, explanations were often made overseas attributing the lack of SARS cases in Korea to kimchi," adding, "This is something that needs further proof."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.