Many benefits are attributed to the traditional Japanese diet and it has always been linked to a longer life expectancy. Experts believe that the prominence of seasonal vegetables and fish is due. Both are local products that are as sustainable as they are healthy and integrate multiple dishes beyond sushi, ramen or miso soup.
To find out if a diet conforms to the Japanese eating pattern, researchers use the 12-Component Modified Japanese Diet Index (mJDI12). As its name advances, it gathers twelve foods, among which are rice, pickles or soybeans. Depending on the number of products included in the studied diet, it is scored from 0 to 12, and the more points it obtains, the more it conforms to the Japanese eating pattern.
Now, a group of researchers from the Osaka Metropolitan University (Japan) has studied the relationship between the foods best valued by this scoring system, muscle mass, and the progression of liver fibrosis in 136 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( HGNA) attending the Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital.
In this variant of fatty liver disease (there is also alcoholic), diet plays a crucial role in its prevention. Although there are several factors that can contribute to its appearance, diet is the most important.
The study, led by Dr. Hideki Fujii and Associate Professor Yoshinari Matsumoto, found that subjects on diets with higher mJDI12 showed less progression of liver fibrosis. In addition, a higher intake of soy, shellfish, and seaweed products showed a suppressive effect on disease progression.
Another benefit they observed among people who ate more soy foods was that they had greater muscle mass, and in turn had less progression of liver fibrosis.
"This study indicates that the Japanese dietary pattern may be effective as a dietary treatment for NAFLD patients. We hope that further intervention studies will lead to the establishment of an effective diet for such people," says Professor Matsumoto.
In other research, this diet has been linked to weight loss and associated improvements in serum lipid metabolism. However, until now there were no reports concluding that it may have a preventive effect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
It should be noted that the beneficial effects are associated with the more traditional Japanese diet, which according to experts is a model that is at risk, and which is less and less adopted in large cities. Something similar to what happens here with the Mediterranean diet, which young people are abandoning.
