As someone living in Denver, I really enjoy the clear skies and fresh air of Colorado, but strangely, I often feel bloated and have digestive issues.

At first, I thought it might be due to the high altitude, but upon reflection, I realized the real reason was something else.

The problem was the months I spent without eating kimchi.

Why did I stop eating kimchi, you ask?

In fact, after living in America for a long time, my taste buds gradually changed.

Ham, cheese, salad, pasta... these foods became part of my daily life, and kimchi became something that was "nice to have, but not necessary."

Especially because of its strong smell, I felt self-conscious around my roommate and hesitant to put it in the office fridge, so I naturally drifted away from it.

After spending several months without kimchi, I started to feel uncomfortable in my stomach more often.

After meals, my stomach felt bloated, and I found it harder to go to the bathroom, and my skin felt somewhat dull?

That's when I began to wonder, 'Is there something wrong with my body?' and started to reconsider my diet.

One day, I went out to a Korean restaurant with a friend and ate a lot of kimchi.

Interestingly, the next morning I had a great bathroom experience, my appetite returned, and I felt much better overall.

I thought, 'Could it really be just because of kimchi?' so I decided to experiment by eating kimchi once or twice a day again.

The result? Strangely enough, I felt more comfortable in my stomach, and my digestion seemed healthier.

So, I naturally began to look for the 'scientific reasons' behind kimchi.

Kimchi: The Real Reason for Comfort

Kimchi is a fermented food. Among its many benefits, it is rich in lactobacillus, a type of probiotic that improves gut health. Nowadays, many people take probiotic supplements, right? But kimchi already contains these probiotics naturally. Moreover, the probiotics in kimchi are resilient to stomach acid, making it more likely for them to reach the intestines alive. These probiotics help suppress harmful bacteria in the gut and aid digestion, resulting in comfort and relief from constipation.

The Collaboration of Dietary Fiber and Enzymes

The napa cabbage, radish, green onion, and garlic in kimchi are rich in dietary fiber, which promotes healthy gut movement. Additionally, various enzymes produced during fermentation make food digestion easier. Eating kimchi feels like having an extra 'digestion helper' in your body.

Garlic and Ginger

Essential ingredients in kimchi are garlic and ginger, which stimulate the digestive system and promote gastric juice secretion. So when I eat kimchi, my mouth waters, and my stomach starts to work. Therefore, especially when I eat greasy foods, having kimchi on the side makes me feel much less bloated and more comfortable.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

The vegetables in kimchi are mostly rich in antioxidants and contain components that help reduce inflammation in the body. In particular, capsaicin in red pepper powder aids blood circulation, and allicin in garlic has antibacterial properties. These combined functions seem to cleanse and soothe the stomach.

Nowadays, I make sure to eat kimchi at least once a day. When I pack my lunch for work, I bring finely chopped kimchi in a separate container.

I always keep a jar of well-fermented kimchi in the fridge, which is versatile for fried rice, kimchi stew, kimchi pancakes, and more.

Sometimes, my American friends ask, 'How do you eat that smelly stuff?' but now I confidently say.

"This is my superfood that protects my stomach."

Conclusion: For Me, Kimchi is Medicine

Kimchi is not just a side dish. For me, living alone and busy in Denver, kimchi is my mother's taste, my health guardian, and a magical food that stabilizes my stomach.

Especially when American food overwhelms me and my stomach gets tired, just one plate of spicy and tangy kimchi makes digestion much smoother. If anyone reading this is feeling bloated or having gut issues lately, the answer might just be a jar of ripe kimchi tucked away in your fridge :)