[Interview] "The Key to Slow Aging Is Muscle Strength"... The Yakult Man Fascinated by 'Fermented Deer Antler'

Interview with Kim Yongtae, Head of the HY Probiotics Team
HY's "Deer Antler Probiotic Fermented Powder" Officially Recognized for Muscle Strength Maintenance
Increased Sialic Acid Content Helps Reduce Muscle Damage and Supports Muscle Regeneration

"The key to slow aging is muscle strength."

Kim Yongtae, head of the HY (Korea Yakult) Probiotics team, emphasized in a recent interview with The Asia Business Daily that "the most important thing for healthy and happy aging is maintaining muscle strength." He explained that both physical performance and digestive function are essential for well-aging, and at the core of these is muscle and muscle strength.

The 'deer antler lactic acid bacteria fermented powder,' which HY received individual approval for from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety last month, was developed through research and development (R&D) focused on ingredients that could help maintain muscle strength. This powder is made by fermenting deer antler, thereby increasing the content of 'sialic acid,' a beneficial component of deer antler. Its functionality-helping to maintain muscle strength that can decrease due to aging-has been officially recognized.

Kim Yongtae, head of the HY Probiotics team, is conducting an interview with The Asia Business Daily.

HY has maintained its position as the top company in the domestic fermented dairy market for a long time, based on a library of more than 5,000 probiotic strains. As demand for health functional foods continues to grow, the company is developing a variety of natural materials by leveraging its expertise in fermentation materials and functional research using probiotics. Previously, HY developed fermented red ginseng and commercialized it as a product, and the development of fermented deer antler is the result of subsequent research.

Kim, who led this R&D, majored in applied biochemistry at Seoul National University. While working at a company as part of his alternative military service, he was introduced to fermentation and bioconversion technologies using lactic acid bacteria and fungi, which led him to become a probiotic expert. He later earned a doctorate in traditional medicine material processing at Kyung Hee University, expanding his expertise and interest in natural materials. Since joining the HY Central Research Institute in 2010, he has led research on the industrialization of fermentation materials and probiotics.

The development of this ingredient began with the idea of enhancing the functionality of deer antler-a natural medicinal material widely used in health supplements for physical strength and muscle strength-through fermentation. Kim explained, "Deer antler is a precious natural medicinal material traditionally used in Northeast Asia, rich in protein, collagen, and growth factors. I wondered if probiotic strains that can utilize these various nutrients would also aid fermentation, which led to research on fermented deer antler. We selected the optimal strain that could grow in a medium containing deer antler components and created the deer antler lactic acid bacteria fermented powder."

Kim Yongtae, head of the HY Probiotics team, is conducting an interview with The Asia Business Daily.

The distinguishing feature of this new material is that fermentation increases the sialic acid content in deer antler. Kim stated, "Sialic acid protects muscles from damage by stabilizing the muscle cell membrane. Sialylated glycoproteins exist in muscle cell membranes, and when there is enough sialic acid, muscle fiber damage and inflammatory responses are alleviated, but when it is insufficient, mechanical damage during exercise increases." He added, "Sialic acid also promotes muscle regeneration and formation, and is effective in improving muscle metabolism."

He also expressed pride in the results of the human application trial. Kim explained, "In a study of 100 men and women aged 50 to 85 who consumed 0.58g of the powder daily for 12 weeks, there were significant improvements in five areas compared to the control group, including grip strength in both hands, thigh muscle strength (quadriceps), and lower limb function (time taken to stand up from a chair)." He continued, "Above all, the significance of this ingredient development lies in securing scientific evidence that it can help prevent and improve sarcopenia, a serious issue in an aging society."

HY also expects that proving the functionality of this fermented deer antler ingredient will strengthen its fermentation technology and competitiveness in the health functional food market. Kim explained, "Aging impairs overall physical abilities, and among these, digestive function declines significantly. As people age, their digestive function is not the same as before, which is ultimately due to a decrease in the muscle strength required for gastrointestinal peristalsis. Maintaining and improving muscle strength is the very first step in slowing the aging process." He added, "This ingredient focuses on muscle weakness among the many factors that hinder well-aging due to aging, and in the future, we plan to introduce a variety of new ingredients that can improve cognitive abilities, including memory, vision, and immunity."

As HY aims to become a 'fermentation technology-based anti-aging solutions company,' Kim repeatedly emphasized the potential of fermented materials in the increasingly popular slow aging market. He said, "Fermentation is a kind of healthy and safe digestion that occurs outside the body, so fermented foods can help those who have difficulty with digestion. The various bioactive substances derived from probiotics in fermented materials have great potential in relation to anti-aging, and we plan to continue developing various natural materials based on this."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.