An American monthly has selected kimchi as one of the world's five healthiest foods.

Health Magazine recommended in its March online edition that people include the spicy fermented cabbage dish in their diets, emphasizing kimchi's high content of vitamins A, B and C.

Citing recent studies, the magazine said that healthy bacteria in kimchi can prevent yeast infections, help with digestion and may also help prevent cancer.

Other healthy foods that made it onto the magazine's top five list were Spanish olive oil, Japanese bean products, Greek yogurt and Indian lentils.