Soya milk hope in ‘fatty liver disease’ fight

Soya milk and tofu may reduce the build-up of harmful fat in the liver, say scientists.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Apr 2012, 07:00 BST

New research suggests soy protein may protect against “fatty liver disease”, a condition linked to obesity that can lead to liver failure.

Scientists in the US compared the livers of lean and obese rats fed a diet containing either milk or soy protein.

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No differences were seen in lean animals. But obese rats fed soy showed a 20 per cent reduction in overall levels of fat accumulation in the liver. Triglycerides, a type of fat known to be harmful to the heart, were reduced by the same level.

Study leader Dr Hong Chen, from the University of Illinois, said: “In many obese persons there’s a sort of traffic problem, and when more fat can make its way out of the liver, there’s less pressure on the organ.”