Soy can ease painful inflammatory bowel disease symptoms

Eating soy regularly could ease painful inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms.

Researchers have discovered addition of staple beans to a sufferer's repertoire may improve symptoms of weight loss and an enlarged spleen.

The most common forms of IBD are Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD). UC affects the colon and
rectum.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University induced mice with a condition similar to Ulcerative Colitis UC. They added a soy-protein
concentrate into their diet and removed other protein sources.

 Amy Wopperer, the study author, said: 'Soy-protein concentrate calm markers of colonic inflammation and loss of gut barrier function in the mice with induced IBD.'

The mice were given a soy-protein concentrate of 12 per cent, which was based on the amount humans generally consume. The concentrate also protect human bowel cells.