A Japanese study finds that soybean beta-conglycinin may help to maintain a healthy body fat ratio and serum lipid levels in healthy women. Beta-conglycinin, a major soy storage protein, has previously been found to reduce triglyceride levels in obese mice and inhibit atherosclerosis in mice. In the new study, researchers measured changes in body fat ratio and serum lipids after the ingestion of beta-conglycinin by 41 healthy women. The trend of change in body fat ratio following ingestion of the beta-conglycinin differed between students with a baseline body fat ratio over 25 per cent and those less than this amount. In the former group the beta-conglycinin suppressed the increase in body fat ratio and in the six subjects who had a high total cholesterol level (e 5.72 mmol/L) there was a tendency towards reduced levels of serum triglyceride, free fatty acid, total cholesterol and lipoprotein although those levels did not change significantly. The researchers concluded that if soybean beta-conglycinin is ingested continuously (5g daily), it will be effective in keeping body fat ratio and serum lipid levels normal and eliminating excessive lipids from the body. This study was reported in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 2004;50(1):26-31).
