Kimchi Cures All!
…or at least it may prevent the Avian Flu.
In today’s Wall Street Journal (Wednesday May 11, 2005) there is an article by Hae Won Choi reporting on research at Seoul National University on using kimchi extract to cure avian flu. (Link – unfortunately it’s only available to WSJ online subscribers)
South Korean microbiologist Kang Sa Ouk thinks he’s come up with a new weapon in the battle against the bird flu virus: kimchi.
Last December, Dr. Kang used a bacteria extracted from kimchi, Korea’s fiery national dish of fermented vegetables, to treat 39 chickens with avian influenza. Over 10 days, 22 of 26 chickens given either a diluted or concentrated culture fluid of the bacteria as a substitute for water showed signs of recovery; all 13 chickens given just water died.
This following part sounds like familiar advice from Korean friends and relatives:
Kimchi is credited with helping digestion, fighting cancer and delaying aging. When severe acute respiratory syndrome hit Asia, many Koreans believed kimchi protected them. South Korea had no confirmed cases of the disease, unlike neighboring China and Japan.
Here’s an earlier article from the BBC back in March 2005, available without subscription:
Scientists at Seoul National University say they fed an extract of kimchi to 13 infected chickens - and a week later 11 of them had started recovering.
The researchers said the results were far from scientifically proven and if kimchi did have the effects they observed, it was unclear why.
Obviously, there are some differences between chickens and humans, but this is a great excuse to eat more kimchi at home and with your friends…
Update 02-16-2006 21:44 PST: LG Electronics is introducing an air conditioner with a kimchi-extract-coated filter, presumably to help protect from avian flu. Assorted links and comments at BoingBoing.
Update 05-21-2006 13:10. PDT: Too much kimchi might be bad for you. (LA Times, via Boing Boing).
Tags: travel, korea, food, health, fitness, kimchi, avian flu
