This popular fermented food may help flush microplastics from the body
Scientists in South Korea discovered that a probiotic bacterium from kimchi can bind to nanoplastics in the gut, helping the body remove them through waste. Lab tests showed the kimchi-derived microbe maintained strong attachment to nanoplastics under conditions mimicking the human intestine, unlike other bacteria. A study in germ-free mice found those given the probiotic excreted significantly more nanoplastics in their feces. This suggests the bacterium may help reduce nanoplastic accumulation in the body.
Scientists found that a probiotic from kimchi can bind to tiny plastic particles in the gut and help the body remove them through waste.
This discovery offers a potential natural way to reduce the harmful effects of microplastics, which are increasingly found in food and water.
It highlights how traditional foods and their microbes might contribute to solving modern environmental and health challenges.
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