[Discovered] Is This Korean Side Dish A Microplastics Detox?

They’re in your drinking water.

They’re in your food.

They’re floating through the air you breathe.

And according to recent research, tiny plastic particles are now being found throughout the human body, including the brain, blood vessels, lungs, liver, and even reproductive organs.

Scientists call them microplastics and nanoplastics. Most are far too small to see.

And they’ve been linked to cancer, heart attacks, Alzheimer’s, and more. But no one knew how to get them out of our bodies.

Until now.

Researchers have identified a probiotic strain commonly found in a beloved Korean side dish that appears to act like microscopic Velcro—grabbing onto plastic particles inside the digestive tract and helping escort them out of the body.

Could this humble fermented food hold part of the answer to one of the biggest environmental health challenges of our time?

Let’s take a closer look.

The star of the research is a probiotic called Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656.

While the name may sound intimidating, this beneficial bacterium is commonly found in traditionally fermented kimchi—the spicy cabbage dish that’s been a staple of Korean cuisine for centuries.

Researchers wanted to see whether this probiotic could physically bind to nanoplastics before they entered the body.

And the results were eye-opening.

Under standard laboratory conditions, the probiotic attached itself to an astonishing 87% of the nanoplastics it encountered.

That’s nearly nine out of every ten plastic particles. But scientists didn’t stop there.

They also tested the bacteria under simulated human intestinal conditions—an environment designed to mimic what happens inside your digestive tract.

Many probiotics lose effectiveness under these harsher conditions.

But not this one. The strain still bound to 57% of nanoplastics.

By comparison, a commonly used probiotic strain managed just 3%.

In other words, the kimchi-derived strain was nearly 20 times more effective at grabbing plastic particles where it matters most.

Then came the animal testing. Researchers gave mice the probiotic alongside nanoplastic exposure.

The probiotic-treated animals excreted more than double the amount of nanoplastics in their feces compared to untreated mice.

Think about what that means. Instead of allowing plastics to linger in the body, this probiotic appeared to help capture them and carry them out through normal waste elimination. Almost like attaching a tow truck to unwanted debris.

That’s a very different strategy than most health interventions.

Instead of trying to repair damage after it occurs, the probiotic may help remove part of the problem before it has a chance to cause trouble.

What’s especially exciting is that this isn’t some experimental pharmaceutical that could cost hundreds of dollars per month.

It’s a naturally occurring probiotic already associated with fermented foods that people have consumed safely for generations.

If you’d like to explore it yourself, traditional kimchi is one option. For those who don’t enjoy fermented vegetables, concentrated Leuconostoc mesenteroides probiotic powders are now available online.

Some users report benefits extending far beyond digestion, including improvements in bloating, bowel regularity, gut comfort, and overall wellness.

While we await larger human trials, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: As plastic pollution continues to invade modern life, supporting your body’s natural ability to defend itself may be more important than ever.

To a cleaner, healthier future,

Ray Thatcher
Research Director, Health Sciences Institute

Sources:

Lee, J., Lee, M. J., Jung, M.-J., Kim, Y. B., Kim, Y., Yun, J. U., Nam, S., Oh, Y. J., Whon, T. W., & Lee, S. H. (2026). Efficient biosorption of nanoplastics by food-derived lactic acid bacterium. Bioresource Technology, 447, 134234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134234