RDA Confirms That Lactic Acid Fermentation Products Made from Korean Rice Improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

The Rural Development Administration announced on the 26th that Korean-style rice lactic acid fermentation product made from Korean rice and native lactic acid bacteria has been found to improve colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, expanding its use as a functional food ingredient for industrial applications.

The native lactic acid bacteria (JSA22) used in this rice lactic acid fermentation product were isolated from traditional doenjang (fermented soybean paste). When fermenting rice, it produces 10 times more lysine, an essential amino acid, than imported lactic acid bacteria. Essential amino acids are not naturally produced in the human body and must be ingested through food.

In 2020, the Rural Development Administration partially revealed the effects of rice lactic acid fermentation product on reducing harmful intestinal microorganisms and improving immune activation in the small intestine through in vitro and animal experiments. This study was planned to more deeply investigate the effects of rice fermented lactic acid product on intestinal disease improvement through animal and clinical trials and to expand its industrialization.

The research team confirmed that when experimental mice with induced colonic inflammation were fed the rice lactic acid fermentation product for six days, the disease activity index (DAI) improved by 21%, bloody stools decreased by 73%, and inflammatory factor (IL-6) decreased by 40%, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving colitis.

Additionally, irritable bowel syndrome patients who consumed 150 ml of rice lactic acid fermentation beverage daily for four weeks showed a 2.3-fold reduction in abdominal bloating compared to the control group, and beneficial microorganisms that reduce visceral fat accumulation and intestinal gas production increased by 1.5 times, confirming the improvement of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.

Professor Park Jeong-ho of the Department of Gastroenterology at Gangbuk Samsung Hospital stated, "Although fermented foods are generally known to help intestinal health, some fermented foods can worsen irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Rice lactic acid fermentation product was found to positively influence by increasing beneficial intestinal bacteria and improving abdominal discomfort in irritable bowel syndrome patients."

The Rural Development Administration has filed four patents related to rice fermented lactic acid products, published numerous papers in professional journals, and signed 45 technology transfer agreements with industries. Currently, various foods using rice lactic acid fermentation product are being manufactured and sold.

Gwak Do-yeon, Director of the National Institute of Crop Science at the Rural Development Administration, said, "Rice is a crop with high value not only as a general food but also as a material for the health functional food industry. We hope that rice will be utilized beyond dietary use as a diverse and functional health industry material, positively impacting the expansion of food crop consumption."