This Food Is Your Secret Weapon For Eliminating Microplastics
Microplastics are everywhere. In our water, our food, even our bodies. And if you're like most people, you're probably wondering, is there anything you can actually do about it?
Researchers are saying yes. You can eat kimchi, a food where researchers have found an unlikely ally in the fight against these tiny plastic invaders.
A quick primer on nanoplastics
Microplastics are plastic particles with diameters between 1 and 5 micrometers. Nanoplastics are microplastics' smaller accomplices, with diameters of less than 1 micrometer. Both of these plastic pieces so small they're invisible to the naked eye. But just because we can't see them, doesn't mean their not entering our bodies through contaminated food and drinking water.
Once ingested, these plastic particles can accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract. This accumulation may induce1 gut microbiota dysbiosis, barrier dysfunction, metabolic disorders, cytotoxicity, and inflammation. In other words, they're not just passing through harmlessly.
However, even though we see the harmful effects of this build-up, the issue remains of finding safe, effective ways to remove plastics from the environment and our bodies.
What the research found
Enter Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, a lactic acid bacterium derived from kimchi. In a new study, researchers discovered this strain is able to bind to nanoplastics2 and help escort them out of the body.
Here's what makes this strain stand out:
- High efficiency across varying conditions: The bacteria showed strong biosorption (the ability to bind to particles) across a wide range of nanoplastic concentrations (10–200 ppm), pH levels (3–9), and temperatures (4–55°C)
- Rapid action: The strain demonstrated quick adsorption, even at short contact times.
- Outperformed other strains: When tested in simulated intestinal fluid, this strain outperformed other versions of the bacteria.
- Real results in vivo: In mouse experiments, the bacteria significantly enhanced fecal excretion of nanoplastics from the intestine.
The strain tested in the study is classified as safe by the FDA and included in the Qualified Presumption of Safety list by the European Food Safety Authority, meaning it's already considered safe for human consumption.
How it works
So how does a bacterium "grab" a plastic particle? There's no chemical breakdown: the bacterium simply stick to plastic particles, like the way dust sticks to a lint roller.
The researchers investigated how they stick together, and found that the bacteria's surface has molecular shapes that are able to physically interlock with the surface of nanoplastics. The bacteria and plastic aren't chemically bonding, just sticking together physically.
The bacteria essentially act as tiny escorts, binding to nanoplastics in your gut and helping carry them out through normal elimination.
The takeaway
Nanoplastics are a real and growing concern. But this study offers a glimpse of how our food, specifically the bacteria in fermented foods, might help our bodies cope.
Now, before you start eating kimchi by the jarful, a few important caveats. This research is promising, but it's still in early stages. The study was conducted in lab conditions and mouse models. There haven't been clinical trials confirming these effects in people.
But while we wait for more research, incorporating fermented foods like kimchi into your diet is a low-risk way to support your gut microbiome, and potentially your body's ability to deal with environmental toxins.