07/09/2026
Dipping my balls in Kimchi to get rid of the micropklastics
Kimchi was found to remove tiny plastic particles from the body before they build up in organs.
Scientists in South Korea studied a lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi, the fermented cabbage dish known for its probiotic microbes.
The strain, called Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, was tested against polystyrene nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer.
These particles can come from the breakdown of larger plastics and may enter the body through food, water, and the environment. Because they are so small, scientists are concerned they could cross the intestinal barrier and accumulate in organs such as the kidneys, liver, and brain.
In lab tests, the kimchi-derived bacterium was able to bind strongly to nanoplastics.
Under normal laboratory conditions, it attached to about 87% of the plastic particles. More importantly, under conditions designed to mimic the human intestine, it still maintained a binding rate of 57%.
A comparison bacterial strain dropped to just 3% under the same gut-like conditions.
The researchers then tested the kimchi bacterium in germ-free mice. Mice given the probiotic had more than double the amount of nanoplastics in their f***s compared with mice that did not receive it.
That suggests the bacterium may help trap nanoplastics in the gut and carry them out through waste before they are absorbed deeper into the body.
The findings do not prove that eating kimchi will detox microplastics from humans.
The research is still early, and the study focused on a specific bacterial strain, lab conditions, and mice. Human trials would be needed to know whether the same effect happens in people.
Still, the study points to an intriguing possibility: microbes from fermented foods may one day help reduce the body’s exposure to environmental pollutants.
Read the study:
"Efficient biosorption of nanoplastics by food-derived lactic acid bacterium."Bioresource Technology
