This popular fermented food may help flush nanoplastics from the body

The World Institute of Kimchi (President: Hae Choon Chang) , a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, announced that a lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi can help promote the removal of nanoplastics from the body by binding to them in the intestine.

Nanoplastics are ultrafine plastic particles measuring less than 1 micrometer ( m; one-thousandth of a millimeter) that are generated during the degradation of larger plastic materials. These particles can enter the human body through food and drinking water. Due to their extremely small size, nanoplastics may cross the intestinal barrier and accumulate in organs such as the kidneys and brain. However, biological strategies to reduce nanoplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract remain at an early stage of research.