Kimchi is a food in which various vegetables such as salted cabbage, radish and cucumber are mixed with pickled fish, condiments and spices.  By taking kimchi, we can absorb diverse inorganic elements such as calcium, copper, phosphorus, iron and salt as well as rich dietary fibers that are hidden in the vegetable.  We can also obtain amino acid and calcium from pickled fish.  In addition, we can absorb vitamins such as carotene, vitamin B complex and vitamin C which are either contained in the vegetables or created by microbes during fermentation.  Kimchi is a low calorie food retaining very little sugar and fat, so it will be particularly helpful to the people of today who are eager to keep fit.

The antibiotic peptide created by lactic acid bacteria of kimchi obstructs harmful microbes. Kimchi has been proved effective in hindering the bird flu virus or H5N1 that has recently emerged as a global problem.

Vitamin B and C are produced during fermentation of kimchi. As such, kimchi is a source of vitamins essential to human body.

There are research papers that prove anti-cancer effect of kimchi, in particular, lactic acid bacteria is helpful in curing various cancers. It has been partly confirmed that this efficacy comes from peptideglican, a cell wall component of lactic acid bacteria.

Among the lactic acid bacteria of kimchi, L. plantarum has excellent function of decreasing high cholesterol within blood.