Saturday Oct 19, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology suggests that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can be used as dietary supplements to prevent liver cancer and increase survival of patients with cirrhosis.

The Japanese study led by T. Kawaguchi from Kurume University School of Medicine in Kurume, Japan and colleagues shows that patients with cirrhosis who took branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) were at 55% lower risk of death from cirrhosis, compared with those patients who did not take the dietary supplements.

Branched chain amino acids include leucine, isoleucine and valine. These amino acids account for 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins.  Because of this, body-builders use these amino acids to promote muscle growth and older people take them to slow the loss of muscle proteins.

Branched chain amino acids are found at lower levels in the blood of patients with cirrhosis.  The study was intended to examine the effect of these amino acids on the progression of cirrhosis or outcome of the disease.

For the study, 299 patients from 14 hospitals in Japan who enrolled in the study in 2009 were given either 5.5 to 12.0 grams of branched chain amino acids per day or no BCAAs, and 267 of them were followed up through 2011.

During the follow-up, 41 of 182 controls developed liver cancer, compared with 11 of 85 patients given BCAAs.  Sixteen controls died during the follow-up, compared with 2 in the study group.

The researchers concluded "Based on a prospective study, amino acid imbalance is a significant risk factor for the onset of HCC in patients with cirrhosis. BCAA supplementation reduces the risk for HCC and prolongs survival of patients with cirrhosis." (DL)