Korean Fermented Foods and Mediterranean Diet: a review of the literature

Mediterranean diet is a well-known healthy diet based on a food pyramid constituted by seven steps (from the bottom to the top, step one water, step two fruits, vegetables, cereals, olive oil, step three nuts, seeds, herbs, wine, step four dairy, step five fish, eggs, white meat, legumes, step six red meat and processed meat, and step seven sweets) that incorporate lifestyle and cultural elements that makes it unique. Korean diet, instead, is a less known healthy diet characterized by a high consumption of plant-derived products and moderate intake of animal-derived food. It consists of grains (mainly rice), seaweed, fish, vegetables, and meat in moderation, therefore it has high carbohydrate and low-fat contents. Korean diet is based on the huge consumption of fermented foods such as Gangjang, Doenjang, Cheonggukjang, Gochujang, Jeotgal, and Kimchi. Fermented foods are worldwide recognized as health promoter for their ability in prevent and ameliorate chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases, hypertension, and osteoporosis while having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this context, my thesis reports a review of the literature on Korean fermented foods and analyzes the possible positive effect of a combination between Korean fermented foods and Mediterranean diet. Findings of this work underline the fundamental health benefits of Korean fermented food that, from the point of view of the enhancement of health benefits and sensorial characteristics, could indeed be an important addition to Mediterranean diet. Further research, however, is needed to evaluate the acceptability of Korean fermented foods among Mediterranean’s inhabitants and producers.