Soybean proteins can inhibit the growth and development of colon, liver and lung cancers, according to research conducted by the University of Arkansas and published in Food Research International.
The objective of the research was to utilise soybean meal - the residue left after oil extraction from soybean seeds, and primarily used to feed livestock – obtain gastrointestinal (GI) resistant peptides from the isolated protein, and test for bioactivity against colon, liver and lung cancer cell lines. N98-4445A, S03-543CR high oleic acid soybean lines, and R95-1705 high protein soybean line were used for the study.
Specifically, the peptides derived from soybean meal obtained from the high oleic soybeans inhibited cell growth by 73% for colon cancer, 70% for liver cancer and 68% for lung cancer. The researchers found that the higher the dosage, the greater the effect.
Oleic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid said to have important health benefits.
