🥬 A Kimchi Bacterium May Help Remove Nanoplastics from the Gut Researchers have found that a bacterium commonly associated with kimchi may help the body remove tiny plastic particles from the digestive system. The bacterium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, was able to bind to polystyrene nanoplastics under conditions designed to resemble the human gut. Nanoplastics are extremely small plastic particles that can enter the body through food, water and other sources. Researchers then tested the bacterium in mice. The animals given the probiotic had more than twice the amount of nanoplastics detected in their feces compared with the control group. This suggests that the bacterium may attach to nanoplastics in the digestive tract and help move them out of the body through feces. The finding is interesting because it points to a possible role for certain beneficial bacteria in reducing the amount of nanoplastic that remains inside the digestive tract. However, the results are still preliminary. The study was conducted in laboratory conditions and mice, so researchers need human studies to determine whether the same effect occurs in people and whether it provides any health benefit. For now, the research provides another example of how gut microbes may interact with substances that enter our digestive system. Source: National Research Council of Science & Technology