Washington, July 11: Want to stave off lung disease? Eat tofu, natto, bean sprouts and soy milk daily.
Soy products have long been lauded for their perceived health benefits. Now, a new study has found that eating soy products reduces the risk of getting a dangerous lung disease, and even relieves the symptoms.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, most commonly affects smokers and is a major cause of lung-related deaths in may parts of the world.
Researchers have based their findings on an analysis of the results of the 18-month study, conducted in Japan, that showed that people who consumed more than 75gm of soy products daily gained the most health benefits.
“We also found that people who consume at least 50g of soy products per day reduce their risk of developing COPD and related respiratory symptoms,” lead researcher Andy Lee of the Curtin’s Health Innovation Research Institute said.
Although the majority of COPD sufferers are smokers, Professor Lee said the disease can also be brought on by smoky or dusty environments and through genetic factors.
According to the researchers, while the initial study focused on prevention of the onset of COPD, follow-up studies would look at the impact of a high-soy diet on sufferers.
“One study will involve going back to those sufferers used in the research to determine if a diet high in soy products can decrease the mortality rate among patients with the disease. A second study could incorporate soy products into clinical trials,” Prof Lee said.
The researchers are currently investigating the nutrients contained in soy products in an effort to determine the reasons for the findings.
–PTI