Fermented Foods Like Yogurt and Kimchi May Reduce Inflammation, Stanford Study Finds

A study by Stanford University School of Medicine has found that eating fermented foods boosts gut microbe diversity. The research, published in Cell on 12 July 2022, also showed a drop in key inflammatory proteins. Lead authors Hannah Wastyk and Gabriela Fragiadakis oversaw the clinical trial. The 10-week trial involved participants who ate fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and kimchi. Their blood samples revealed lower levels of 19 inflammatory proteins. Among these, interleukin 6—a marker linked to rheumatoid arthritis and Type 2 diabetes—also decreased.

Four types of immune cells in the fermented-food group showed reduced activation. By contrast, a high-fibre diet did not produce the same drop in inflammatory proteins or increase in microbial diversity. The study was funded through donations, grants, and seed funding from multiple sources. The findings suggest fermented foods can improve gut health and lower inflammation. The diet led to greater microbial diversity and measurable changes in immune response. The results were published in a peer-reviewed journal, confirming the study’s scientific rigour.