A vegetable protein-rich diet for the treatment of liver cirrhosis.

Twelve patients were administered a vegetable protein-rich diet, which was low in methionine and high in the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) to aromatic amino acid (AAA) molar ratio, and an animal protein-rich diet, high in methionine and low in the BCAA/AAA molar ratio. These diets were administered successively for one week each. Actually ingested amounts of tyrosine and methionine were significantly lower during the feeding of the vegetable protein-rich diet than the animal protein-rich diet. Serum methionine concentrations increased while on the animal protein-rich diet and decreased following the switch to the vegetable protein-rich diet. No other amino acid concentrations were affected. Significant differences were not observed in nitrogen balance or serum protein concentrations.