Eating a traditional Korean dish has been linked to reduced belly size.

However, you shouldn't overindulge in kimchi

Eating up to three servings of kimchi a day can reduce the amount of belly fat, potentially reducing the risk of diabetes. More than 100 thousand people took part in the South Korean study. It found that men who eat three servings of this traditional fermented vegetable dish per day are less likely to be overweight and have less belly fat.

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Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables, has long been associated with health benefits. For example, the product has a positive effect on regulating digestion and improves memory.

Now scientists have provided new data demonstrating the benefits of this Asian dish. A study of more than 100,000 people by Chung Ang University in South Korea found that men who ate three servings of kimchi a day were less likely to be overweight and have less belly fat.

Abdominal obesity (often called a «beer belly») is considered the most important symptom of type 2 diabetes because it is localized around vital organs (pancreas and liver).

During the study, researchers examined data from more than 115 thousand Koreans over 40 years of age who took part in the Health Examinees study, a long-term analysis of environmental and genetic risk factors for common chronic diseases.

Participants completed a questionnaire about how often they ate different types of food, choosing between less than one serving per day, one to two servings per day, two to three, three to five, and more than five servings per day.

The study included different types of dish: cabbage-radish kimchi and water kimchi (made using radish and cabbage as the main ingredients, which are salted and then mixed with water and other ingredients). A serving of cabbage or radish kimchi is 50 grams, and a serving of water kimchi is 95 grams. One 50g serving is approximately a third of a cup.

In the study, published in the journal BMJ Open, each participant's height and weight, BMI (body mass index) and waist circumference were measured. A BMI of 18.5 was defined as underweight; normal weight – from 18.5 to 25; and obesity – more than 25.

The researchers defined abdominal obesity as a waist circumference of at least 35 inches for men and at least 33 inches for women. This is a slightly lower threshold than the US definition of abdominal obesity being at least 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women.

The results showed that moderate amounts of kimchi led to weight loss in people while too much caused an increase in excess fat.

Eating up to three servings of kimchi per day was associated with an 11% reduction in the prevalence of overweight compared with consuming less than one serving.

In men, three or more servings of cabbage kimchi were associated with a 10% reduction in the prevalence of overweight and a 10% reduction in the prevalence of high abdominal fat, compared with consuming less than one serving per day.

In women, two Three servings of this type of kimchi per day were associated with an 8% reduction in the prevalence of overweight, and eating one to two servings per day was associated with a 6% reduction in the level of abdominal fat.

Eating radish kimchi below average was associated with a 9% reduction in the prevalence of overweight among both sexes.

In addition, consuming less than two tablespoons of radish kimchi per day (25 g) for men and just under one tablespoon for day (11 g) for women was associated with an 8 percent (men) to 11 percent (women) reduction in the risk of high abdominal fat compared with no fat at all.

However, you shouldn't overindulge in kimchi either. Those who ate more than three servings per day had a larger waist size and were more likely to be overweight, according to the study.