Study: Soy and Flaxseed May Help Combat Obesity and Diabetes

Soy and flaxseed may be helpful in combating obesity and diabetes, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a report presented at the Experimental Biology 2002 conference held in New Orleans, researchers said they found in animal studies that plant-based, edible compounds may be an answer to the health problems associated with nutritional disorders such as obesity and diabetes.

Lean and obese rats were fed diets consisting of either 20 percent casein (a white, tasteless, odorless protein) or 20 percent isolated soybean protein or 20 percent flaxseed meal for 26 weeks. The lean rats were hypertensive while the obese rats showed symptoms of type 2 diabetes. The obese rats had significantly higher levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Researchers found that the soybean diet significantly decreased total cholesterol and LDL in both the lean and obese rats but had no significant effect on glucose.

Flaxseed decreased total cholesterol and triglycerids in both lean and obese rats, but it significantly decreased HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol only in obese rats. Flaxseed also decreased glucose in lean but not in obese rats and had a greater effect than the soybeans.

Soybeans and flaxseed affected plasma lipids and several enzymes and also had varying effects on tissue weights in lean and obese rats. Obese rats had significantly lower plasma creatinine but higher total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase than the lean rats. Both soy and flaxseed decreased total bilirubin, protein and uric acid in the lean rats.

"These data suggest that diets rich in soy protein and flaxseed have beneficial effects on many aspects of obesity and diabetes," concluded the researchers.

Other sources: American Physiological Society