Finally Healthy And Fit With Kimchi

Kimchi making is one of the oldest and easiest ways to easily preserve fresh vegetables. This knowledge is a true treasure that everyone should benefit from. A wide variety of vegetables such as cabbage, cucumbers, carrots and radishes etc. can be processed and combined to make kimchi; regional and fresh foods are key.

Kimchi is a real treasure for your health anyway, as valuable minerals, vitamins and enzymes are retained during natural preservation. Kimchi helps with intestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, supports digestion and actively strengthens your immune system.

Why Is Kimchi So Good For Us?

fermentation

Reason one is fermentation. This causes healthy lactic acid bacteria to convert sugar into acid, which preserves the vegetables. Furthermore, these tiny helpers make the vegetables easier to digest and they produce a number of B vitamins in the fermentation vessel.

Basically, lactic acid bacteria support digestion and have a positive effect on healthy microflora  in the intestine. A healthy intestinal flora is promoted, which in turn strengthens the body's defenses. For example, 15% of Germans often complain about intestinal problems. With kimchi you can proactively strengthen your intestinal flora.

Vitamins and minerals

A second reason is the vitamins and minerals in kimchi. Cabbage, spring onions and especially chilies provide valuable vitamin C. There is plenty of vitamin A in kimchi because carrots, spring onions and cabbage are used in its production. The lactic acid bacteria produce the important vitamins B1, B2 and B12 all by themselves. In the first three weeks of fermentation, the proportions of some B vitamins even double. Garlic, ginger and chili in kimchi stimulate circulation and lower blood cholesterol levels.

The combination of fresh vegetables with plenty of nutrients and lactic acid bacteria works wonders for the body. The kimchi becomes healthier and tastier through the fermentation process. The following picture shows Chinese cabbage kimchi before fermentation.

What is necessary for fermentation?

This question has a fascinatingly simple answer: salt, vegetables and time are the basic ingredients, nothing more is needed to prepare kimchi. The reason is very simple, because the good lactic acid bacteria already live on our fresh vegetables. Fermentation only serves to multiply the bacteria.

The salt plays the essential role of a catalyst, as salt removes liquid from the vegetables. This creates the characteristic brine. The lactic acid bacteria later multiply in the brine, making it the breeding ground for these little helpers.

The lifestyle of lactic acid bacteria is anaerobic, so they do not need oxygen. Whereas many competitors of the lactic acid bacteria use oxygen for their metabolism. The acidic brine serves as a protective shield and repels the “bad” bacteria. The miracle of fermentation takes place in the sour and salty brine.

To start the fermentation process, the vegetables must be prepared so that the salt can easily penetrate the cell structure. This can be done by slicing or pickling the vegetables with salt. The salt dissolves sugar from the inside of the vegetables used, which in turn provides food for the microorganisms. The bacteria thrive.