An interventional study of 60 grams per day of intervention food and 60 grams per day of intervention food in Healthy Adult Participants, sponsored by University of California, Davis. Recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 19 Years to 70 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-02.
Sponsored by University of California, Davis · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The goal of this study is to learn about the effects of eating kimchi on the gut health of healthy adults in the USA. The investigators will be researching the changes in the gut microbiome, biomarkers of gut health and cardiometabolic health after consuming fermented and unfermented cabbage.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does eating kimchi (fermented cabbage) result in enrichment of lactic acid bacteria in the stools of participants? Does eating kimchi result in metabolic changes in the gut microbiome, biomarkers of gut and cardiometabolic health of participants? Researchers will compare a group of participants eating fermented cabbage (kimchi) daily to a group of participants eating non-fermented cabbage daily.
Participants will:
Eat kimchi or cabbage daily for 3 weeks. Visit the study site for brief visits up to 5 times. Have blood drawn and provide a fecal sample 2 times - at beginning and end of the 3 week study.
Keep occasional records of food intake and questionnaires about any gastrointestinal symptoms that participants may have.
University of California, Davis is the lead sponsor of 798 studies on the registry; 146 are open to participants now.
Of its 65 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 43 (66%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food
Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food
Non-fermented cabbage
Kimchi fermented cabbage
Change from baseline in fecal Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
Time frame: Baseline and week 3
Fecal Metabolites - Change in short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and secondary bile acids (BA)
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Gut integrity and health - Change in fecal calprotectin, fecal lipocalin, and fecal sIGA
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Gut integrity and health - Change in plasma lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), zonulin, and sCD14
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Immune biomarkers - Change in plasma IL-6, TNF-alpha, hsCRP
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Cardiometabolic biomarkers - Change in lipid panel (TC, LDL, HDL, TG), and oxidized LDL (oxLDL)
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Qualitative self-assessment of gut associated health - Change in Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS)
This questionnaire rates gastrointestinal symptoms over the past 7 days. A higher score indicates presence and increasing severity of symptoms and level of discomfort.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Qualitative self-assessment of gut associated health - Change in Digestion-associated Quality of Life Questionnaire (DQLQ)
This questionnaire measures the effect of digestive symptoms on daily life over the past 7 days. A higher score indicates a lower (worse) digestion-associated Quality of Life.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Body Mass Index (BMI)
To derive the Body Mass Index (BMI) the following will be done: Height will be measured in meters. Weight will be measured in kilograms. These values will be aggregated to arrive at one reported value to report BMI in kg/m2
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Dietary Records and nutritional analysis of Macronutrients
ASA24 (Automated Self Assessment of diet on the NIH website) will be used to record 24 hours of diet intake. Macronutrients will be measured in grams/day.
Time frame: Baseline, week 1 of intervention, week 3 of intervention
Dietary records and assessment of Fiber intake
ASA24 (Automated Self Assessment of diet on the NIH website) will be used to record 24 hours of diet intake. Dietary fiber will be measured in grams/day.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 and 3
Waist Circumference
Waist circumference will be measured in centimeters
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure will be measured by automated upper arm cuff to read systolic and diastolic pressure in units of mm Hg. Normal pressure is considered 120/80 mm Hg.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Plan to share: No
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University of California, Davis