Is kimchi low FODMAP? (including 3 recipes)

Have you been wondering is kimchi low FODMAP?

If you are following a low FODMAP diet, it is important to understand the potential impact kimchi may have on your digestive health. 

This blog aims to help you understand the nutritional impact of kimchi on digestive health, the impact of fermentation and whether it is suitable for a low FODMAP diet.

What is kimchi?

Until recently, kimchi was not really a food you would typically see in a western diet so you may not be all that familiar with it!

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made by fermenting vegetables. It’s a staple in Korean cuisine and is often served as a side dish or incorporated into main dishes.

Common ingredients include cabbage or radishes mixed with various seasonings such as chili peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, and salt.

Kimchi is both delicious and rich in essential vitamins and minerals, making it a nutritional powerhouse with numerous health benefits!

A key ingredient in kimchi is cabbage, which is low in calories and high in fiber. 

This combination makes kimchi an excellent addition to a balanced diet, promoting satiety and supporting healthy digestion (1). 

You may already know that there are countless variations of kimchi from different regions, each having their own unique recipes and preferences. 

Some common types include napa cabbage kimchi (baechu kimchi), radish kimchi (kkakdugi), and water kimchi (mul kimchi) (2). 

The fermentation process gives kimchi its characteristic tangy flavor and contributes to its preservation, allowing it to be stored for long periods – more about this below!

How Fermenting Foods Helps to Reduce Their FODMAP Content

Fermentation is a natural process that occurs when microorganisms like bacteria and yeast convert carbohydrates, such as starches and sugar, into alcohol and acids.

Fermentation is used to make foods such as wine, kombucha, yogurt, cheese, sourdough, and of course kimchi.

The process of making kimchi involves adding salt to vegetables to draw our water, which takes ~1-2 days at room temperature or more slowly in the refrigerator. 

Kimchi is fermented by the bacteria naturally present in the cabbage and the other ingredients used (3). 

Confusion may arise for people following a low FODMAP diet as foods that ferment inside the gut can lead to IBS symptoms.

However, when you make kimchi, you are fermenting the foods before they enter your gut which reduces their FODMAP content and thus risk of digestive symptoms.

What are the differences between sauerkraut and kimchi?

You may be wondering about the differences between sauerkraut and kimchi – which is understandable given they are made with similar ingredients.

Both dishes originate from Asia, but sauerkraut was popularized in Germany.

Sauerkraut comprises of cabbage, salt and caraway seeds and takes much longer to ferment than kimchi. Sauerkraut has a relatively tangy and salty taste.

Caraway seeds are only low FODMAP in less than 15g portions, so bear this in mind! (5).

Whereas kimchi contains cabbage along with many other seasonings (more on this below) and has a more umami (savory), salty and sometimes spicy taste.

Is kimchi low FODMAP?

So now you know the fermentation process in making kimchi should not cause IBS symptoms, let’s look at the ingredients used.

According to Monash university, kimchi is low FODMAP in serving sizes of 47 g (which is about ⅓ cup) (5).

However, you will notice that different variations of kimchi contain additional ingredients such as garlic or onion which would then make that product high FODMAP.

High and low FODMAP ingredients in kimchi

To decipher if your shop bought kimchi or home made options are suitable on the low FODMAP diet, you will need to check the ingredients.

Below, we have listed the typical low and high FODMAP ingredients found in this product to help you.

Low FODMAP ingredients found in Kimchi:

1. Cabbage – check out our post about ‘is cabbage low FODMAP?’ 
2. Radishes
3. Salt
4. Ginger 
5. Sugar – depending on the variety, check out our other post for more information about ‘Sugar and IBS’
6. Fish sauce – low FODMAP in 44g portions
7. Gochugaru (korean red pepper flakes) – low FODMAP in 2g portions
8. Fresh Chilli – low FODMAP in 28g portions

 High FODMAP ingredients found in Kimchi:

1. Garlic
2. Onions

Check out our other posts to understand more about whether onion and garlic are appropriate for a low FODMAP diet.

Is Kimchi good for IBS?

A recent study has compared how different types of kimchi can affect IBS symptoms. 90 participants were recruited and split into three groups (6).

Group one consumed standard kimchi, group 2 consumed kimchi with an added probiotic (which was dead) and group 3 consumed a functional kimchi.

Functional kimchi was developed by the researchers of the study who added ingredients which hosted anti-colitis and anti-colorectal cancer activities to help improve colon health (7, 8). 

You will be excited to know that all three kimchi groups showed improvements in IBS symptoms partially due to an increase in dietary fiber.

Typical IBS symptoms such as abdominal pain/discomfort/ bloating, defecation time and stool type were improved with this increased fiber intake. 

The kimchi groups with added ingredients were shown to alleviate IBS symptoms the most.

Group 2 (kimchi with added probiotic) boasted more effective immune response and inhibited harmful intestinal enzyme activity.

And group 3 (kimchi with added functional kimchi) showed a greater population of ‘good’ gut bacteria.

Recipes

If you want to try making your own low FODMAP kimchi, then check out the following recipes:

• Low FODMAP kimchi 
• Low FODMAP kimchi recipe
• Low FODMAP kimchi recipe

Summary 

Kimchi is a popular Korean side dish that can accompany many meals.

You should be able to enjoy pre-made kimchi as part of your low FODMAP diet, as it is low FODMAP in 47 g portions.

The fermentation process involved in making kimchi can partially reduce the FODMAP content.

The dietary fiber content of kimchi will likely improve your IBS symptoms, providing no high FODMAP ingredients are used to make it (such as onions and garlic).

The FODMAP content in kimchi can vary each time. So to be safe, prepare from scratch using the low FODMAP ingredients/recipes above.