A physician has warned that daily consumption of kimchi, a staple often considered healthy, can negatively impact pancreas health if stored improperly or in excess. The core issue is not kimchi itself, but its high sodium content and potential for carcinogen formation when over-fermented.
In a recent appearance on the YouTube channel ‘Jisik Mat,’ internal medicine specialist Director Kang Hyung-chang highlighted kimchi as a food requiring caution for pancreatic health. He noted that salty foods like jeotgal or over-fermented kimchi are well-known to harm blood pressure and kidney health
, and such excessive sodium intake is also not good for pancreas health
. A 2024 study published in the international journal ‘Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology’ supports a link between sodium intake and pancreatic cancer risk. The Chinese research team, which tracked 434,372 adults for an average of 13.8 years, found that the group with the highest 24-hour urinary sodium excretion had a 38% higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to the group with the lowest.
The Specific Kimchi Risks Identified
Director Kang clarified that kimchi is a healthy food, but the problem can be kimchi containing jeotgal or kimchi that has been over-fermented at high temperatures
. Research shows that over-fermenting kimchi produces high levels of nitrosamines, a carcinogen. Nitrosamines are compounds that can form when nitrites and amines in food react, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies some nitrosamines as human carcinogens. Long-term exposure to nitrosamines can increase the risk of cancers such as liver and stomach cancer.
Storing Kimchi Safely
To mitigate these risks, Director Kang recommended storing kimchi in a cool place below 4 degrees Celsius. It is better to store it in a cool place because it becomes dangerous when fermented for a long time at high temperatures of 17 degrees or higher
. He also advised that individuals with hypertension or chronic kidney disease should control their intake or choose baek-kimchi (unfermented kimchi) to prevent their condition from worsening.
