Research published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Bioresource Technology demonstrates that the oh-so-delicious Korean staple kimchi, thanks to its food-derived lactic acid bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, might help remove nanoplastics from our intestines before they can seep through and accumulate in our brains, kidneys, arteries, bones, or any of the other places they have been found. The research team, led by Dr. Se Hee Lee and Dr. Tae Woong Whon, sought to understand whether Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656 could attach to polystyrene nanoplastics and, if so, how strongly those bonds held up in different conditions.
The researchers tested Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656 in standard lab tests, in conditions designed to mimic the human intestines, and in mice. SciTech Daily reports that in all three conditions, the bacterium showed strong ability to bind to nanoplastics in the gut. The fact that Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656 retained its binding abilities in conditions similar to human intestines is especially impressive because, as Science Daily explains, that's where most other bacteria quickly fail. This is exciting research because if the kimchi bacterium can bind to the nanoplastics in our guts, theoretically we can then expel them before they enter other parts of our bodies. Given that microplastics and nanoplastics now seem ubiquitous in food and drinking water, SciTech Daily describes this discovery as a promising "probiotic approach to reducing plastic accumulation."
SciTech Daily quotes Dr. Se Hee Lee, lead research of the study, who stated:
"Plastic pollution is increasingly recognized not only as an environmental issue but also as a public health concern . . . Our findings suggest that microorganisms derived from traditional fermented foods could represent a new biological approach to address this emerging challenge. We will continue to expand the scientific value of kimchi microbial resources to contribute to public health and environmental solutions."
Science Daily adds that this study provides more evidence that the microbes found in fermented foods not only help with digestion, but also address environmental pollutants like plastics that enter and take up residence in the body.
Of course, the usual caveats apply here — the findings are preliminary, and mice and lab conditions aren't necessarily transferable to the human body, so human trials need to be conducted. Additionally, the research was conducted by a team of scientists from the Kimchi Functionality Research Group at the World Institute of Kimchi in Gwangju, Korea, which is a government-funded Institute located within the Korean Ministry of Science. The researchers' affiliation, of course, raises questions about conflicts of interest, but the authors specifically say in their "declaration of competing interest" statement that they have "no known competing financial interests or personal relationships" that have influenced their work.
Still, even with these caveats, it's pretty cool research, and just gives me yet another reason to eat kimchi! It's delicious AND perhaps it helps with nanoplastics! I think I'll get some this weekend!
Read the full study here or here.
Previously:
• Granny Choe's Kimchi: stinky fermented food pride
• 'Tiny Grandma' brings joy to the world
• Too much kimchi might be bad for you
• This Spotify playlist is also a fantastic recipe for Kimchi Fried Rice
• 'Fancy' silky teabags shed microplastics
• Tea found in delicious microplastic infusion bags
• Lab gloves shed particles that fool microplastic detectors, inflating counts by 20x
• Your brain tissue is 50% more plastic than in 2016
• Microplastics gumming up chewing gum
• New study suggests that microplastics are stored in the balls
