"Probiotics in Fermented Milk Reduce COVID-19 Virus by 78%"

On the afternoon of the 13th, the "Symposium on the Development of Antiviral Foods in the COVID-19 Era" was held at LW Convention in Jung-gu, Seoul, hosted by the Korea Institute of Medical Science.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] It has been found that the probiotics in fermented milk products possess antiviral effects against the COVID-19 virus. Additionally, in the case of Influenza A, the cause of the Spanish flu, probiotics were found to have a 99.99% antiviral effect.

At the 'Symposium on the Development of Antiviral Foods in the COVID-19 Era' held on the 13th under the auspices of the Korea Institute of Medical Science, discussions were held regarding the antiviral functionality of fermented milk and the role and function of foods in antiviral activity. Panelists included Professor Yeonhee Lee of Seoul Women’s University (former president of the Korean Society for Microbiology), Kyungsun Kim, head of the Microbiome Center at the Korea Institute of Medical Science, and former Catholic University Medical School Professor Soonyoung Baek.

Former Professor Baek explained, "In the case of antiviral drugs, side effects are high when made into medicine, so enhancing immunity through food intake is important," adding, "Probiotic lactic acid bacteria can boost immunity, helping to suppress viral replication when the virus invades and preventing progression to severe stages."

A presentation on the antiviral effects of probiotics in Namyang Dairy’s Bulgari products and their inhibitory effects on the COVID-19 virus also followed.

Jongsu Park, head of the Antiviral Immunity Research Institute at Namyang Dairy, stated, "We have identified for the first time in Korea that fermented milk products are effective against influenza and COVID-19 viruses," and added, "Laboratory experiments on Bulgari fermented milk products confirmed that they inactivate up to 99.9% of the influenza virus (H1N1)."

Park further explained, "In studies on the inhibitory effects against COVID-19, a 77.8% reduction effect was confirmed," and said, "We plan to clarify the detailed mechanisms through additional research and promote the development of products that enhance antiviral immunity."

Namyang Dairy, in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Medical Science, conducted antiviral tests against Influenza A using the effective components in Bulgari on canine kidney cells, employing the U.S. virus performance evaluation test standard (Modified ASTM E1052-11), confirming a 99.9% reduction in the virus.

Additionally, antiviral tests against the COVID-19 virus were conducted on monkey lung cells in the same manner with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Chungnam National University, confirming a 77.8% antiviral effect.

However, former Professor Baek added, "The current experimental results do not provide specific figures regarding the prevention rate of COVID-19 through the consumption of fermented milk products."