Healthy Adult ParticipantsNCT07435831
Kimchi and Gut Health
A study testing 60 grams per day of intervention food in people with Healthy Adult Participants, run by University of California, Davis at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Adult Participants
- What is being tested?
- 60 grams per day of intervention food
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 30 Mar 2026to Dec 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 to 70 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- BMI of 25-30 kg/m2
- No or occasional consumption of kimchi (3 or fewer times per week)
- Willing to eat study food every day for 3 weeks
- Willing to participate in study protocols
Who cannot join
- Allergy to cabbage and /or cruciferous family vegetables
- Allergy to kimchi ingredients such as shellfish and fish sauce
- Daily consumption of kimchi
- Diagnosed digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastrointestinal inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or conditions such as Crohn's disease
- Previous bowel surgery that disrupts the digestive flow, motility or gastric emptying process
- Antibiotics used in the 2 months prior to enrollment
- Unwillingness to discontinue probiotics during study and washout period
- Active diagnosis and/or treatment for cancer
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Ragle Human Nutrition Center
Davis, California, 95616
Francene Steinberg, PhD, 530-752-0120, fmsteinberg@ucdavis.edu
- Recruiting
UC Davis Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center
Davis, California, 95616
Francene Steinberg, PhD, 530-752-0160, fmsteinberg@ucdavis.edu
Jody Randolph, 5307527620, jmrandolph@ucdavis.edu
About this study
Official title: Kimchi and Gut Health - Kimchi Effects on the Human Gut Microbiome
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:
Read more
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.
- Conditions
- Healthy Adult Participants
- Being tested
- 60 grams per day of intervention food
- Keywords
- Healthy adult, GI health, Fermented food
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
60 grams per day of intervention foodOther
Non-fermented cabbage
60 grams per day of intervention foodOther
Kimchi fermented cabbage
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Kimchi | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food |
| Cabbage | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from baseline in fecal Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
Measured: Baseline and week 3
Secondary outcomes (7)
Fecal Metabolites - Change in short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and secondary bile acids (BA)
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Gut integrity and health - Change in fecal calprotectin, fecal lipocalin, and fecal sIGA
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Gut integrity and health - Change in plasma lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), zonulin, and sCD14
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Immune biomarkers - Change in plasma IL-6, TNF-alpha, hsCRP
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Cardiometabolic biomarkers - Change in lipid panel (TC, LDL, HDL, TG), and oxidized LDL (oxLDL)
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Feb 2026
- Study start30 Mar 2026
- Primary completion30 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy Adult ParticipantsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, DavisThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Davis
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07435831
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2325615-1
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 22 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 2 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Kimchi and Gut Health - Kimchi Effects on the Human Gut Microbiome
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07435831
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2325615-1
- Conditions
- Healthy Adult Participants
- Keywords
- Healthy adult, GI health, Fermented food
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, DavisUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 27 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Kimchi | Experimental | Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food |
| Cabbage | Active comparator | Other: 60 grams per day of intervention food |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- BMI of 25-30 kg/m2
- No or occasional consumption of kimchi (3 or fewer times per week)
- Willing to eat study food every day for 3 weeks
- Willing to participate in study protocols
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Allergy to cabbage and /or cruciferous family vegetables
- Allergy to kimchi ingredients such as shellfish and fish sauce
- Daily consumption of kimchi
- Diagnosed digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastrointestinal inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or conditions such as Crohn's disease
- Previous bowel surgery that disrupts the digestive flow, motility or gastric emptying process
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 60 grams per day of intervention foodNon-fermented cabbage | Other | Cabbage |
| 60 grams per day of intervention foodKimchi fermented cabbage | Other | Kimchi |
Primary outcome
Change from baseline in fecal Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
Time frame: Baseline and week 3
7 secondary outcomes
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)
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Qualitative self-assessment of gut associated health - Change in Digestion-associated Quality of Life Questionnaire (DQLQ)
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
UC Davis Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center
Davis, United States
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing 60 grams per day of intervention food in people with Healthy Adult Participants, run by University of California, Davis at 2 sites in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from baseline in fecal Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) (time frame: Baseline and week 3). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Apr 2026.