QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, June 26) – Along with those addictive Korean dramas and K-Pop, Korean food have also gained a foothold in the Philippines with many Korean restaurants and food establishments opening left and right.
Even if you are not into Korean food, you must be familiar with kimchi – a mainstay in the Korean cuisine. It is the national food of Korea. It is so ubiquitous and definitely a part of Korean life that Koreans say “kimchi” instead of “cheese” when taking pictures.
Kimchi traces its origin in 7th century Korea, where the extremely cold winters forced the people to preserve vegetables by salting. Eventually, spices were added to the salting process to add flavor.
Some may find eating kimchi difficult as it is certainly an acquired taste, but you should be brave and take that bite because kimchi has many health benefits.
1. Kimchi contains good bacteria. Can you say probiotic? Kimchi is fermented, so it is rich in lactobacilli that aids our body’s digestive process. These good bacteria also help us fight off infections.
2. Kimchi’s ingredients are rich in allicin and selenium. Do you know what those are for? They are for fighting off risks of stroke and heart attack.
3. Kimchi is packed with Vitamin A. That means eating kimchi is good for your eyesight.
4. The aforementioned selenium also gives you good skin and radiant hair.
5. Kimchi also contains isocyanate and sulfide which helps in detoxifying the body of heavy metals.
6. Kimchi is also the reason why Koreans look younger than their age. It is rich in antioxidants which decrease the aging rate of the skin.
7. Kimchi aids in the metabolism of carbohydrates. It is also rich in capsaicin which also boosts metabolism. In short, eating kimchi helps you lose weight.
8. Finally, kimchi boosts our immune system.
So, what are you waiting for? Eat your kimchi!
(ENS, written by Jay Paul Carlos, with additional research of Lovely Ann Cruz)
