Kimchi bacterium increased muscle mass and strength in older mice
Grip strength was 28% higher than in controls after four months of daily dosing with a bacterial strain isolated from kimchi.
Limit: The microbiota analysis measured associations, not whether bacterial community changes caused muscle benefits
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Male C57BL/6J mice aged 18 months received the bacterium Weissella cibaria Wikim0187, isolated from kimchi, or a control preparation in a four-month experiment. Each supplemented mouse received a daily oral dose of 1 billion colony-forming units, a measure of live bacteria.
Compared with controls, supplemented mice had 12.4% greater mass in the gastrocnemius, a calf muscle, and 30.4% greater quadriceps muscle mass at the front of the thigh. Grip strength declined in both groups, but more slowly in supplemented mice. Muscle fibers were also larger on average. The researchers found lower activity of genes linked to muscle breakdown and higher activity of genes involved in muscle development. Gut bacterial communities changed, and several bacterial groups that became more common were associated with better muscle measurements.
Why it matters
Age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, called sarcopenia, has limited targeted treatment options. The authors proposed this bacterial strain as a potential intervention.
Caveats
This animal experiment did not establish effectiveness or safety in older people. The associations between gut bacteria and muscle measurements did not establish that changes in the bacteria caused the muscle benefits.
The paper
World Institute of Kimchi
Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Jul 17, 2026, Open access
