Kimchi and Cancer by Dr. Joseph C. Kim

That's me. 김재환

Kimchi is hot and spicy. It uses a red pepper powder called gochugaru. It will burn your lips!

I'm Joseph C Kim and I eat kimchi. I'm also Korean and I hope that I don't get cancer from eating so much kimchi. I worry sometimes. What am I supposed to do? Stop eating kimchi?

What does it mean to be addicted to kimchi? People use the word "addiction" loosely sometimes. Can you live without kimchi? Sure. Will you experience physiologic withdrawal symptoms if you don't eat kimchi? Probably not. You may experience some psychological symptoms, but they will eventually pass. I love kimchi and I couldn't imagine life without it. But, eventually we all learn to cope, don't we?

Kimchi just wouldn't be kimchi if it wasn't spicy. Kimchi has to be hot. It should make your mouth burn. Like fire. Could that really be good for you? If it hurts that much, maybe it's damaging our cells and causing harm? Do you eat kimchi?

Are you a Korean with cancer? Did kimchi cause your cancer? Perhaps someday we'll find a kimchi cancer registry. That's the kind of data we'll really need to show the connection between kimchi and cancer.

Why do Korean men get stomach cancer? Is kimchi a culprit? Possibly. But, there are other reasons that contribute to Korean men getting stomach cancer. They include: 1. H Pylori infection. This can be treated with medications. 2. Alcohol consumption. Many Korean men drink heavily, especially in social and business situations. 3. Smoking. A huge percentage of Korean men smoke. When you combine these factors, they form the right ingredients to cause cancer to form in the stomach. Of course, there are also genetic or hereditary factors that contribute. Don't drink. Don't smoke.