Traditional Japanese Tofu Product Fights Obesity by Boosting Natural GLP-1 Production | Research

The takeaway

Kori-tofu protein and its resistant protein fraction reduced obesity and liver fat in mice by stimulating gut GLP-1 production through azelaic acid signaling.

Natural GLP-1 boost
Kori-tofu protein increased circulating GLP-1 by promoting its production in the gut via CREB signaling

What the researchers found

Kori-tofu protein and its resistant protein fraction promoted ileal GLP-1 production via CREB phosphorylation and raised circulating GLP-1 levels, while reducing adipocyte size, inflammation, and hepatic steatosis in HFD-fed mice.

Why it matters

Finding natural food compounds that boost endogenous GLP-1 production provides dietary strategies that could complement pharmaceutical GLP-1 therapy for obesity management.

How the study worked

16-week feeding study in C57BL/6J mice on high-fat diet with 10% kori-tofu protein or 3% resistant protein, assessing metabolic markers, gene expression, and metabolomics.

What this study cannot tell us

Mouse model only. Human GI processing of kori-tofu may differ. The amount of protein used (10%) is substantial relative to diet. Azelaic acid-GLP-1 connection is correlative.

How to read the evidence

Preclinical feeding study with metabolomic and molecular pathway analysis. Mechanistic insights but needs human validation.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

This connects traditional food science with modern peptide biology, showing how dietary proteins can naturally stimulate the same GLP-1 pathway that billion-dollar drugs target.

Questions still open

Would kori-tofu consumption meaningfully increase GLP-1 levels in humans?
Could isolated resistant protein be developed as a functional food ingredient?
Is azelaic acid a direct GLP-1 secretagogue?

Common questions

Can eating certain foods boost your body's GLP-1?

This study suggests yes — protein from traditional Japanese kori-tofu stimulated GLP-1 production in the gut of mice. While the effect in humans needs study, it supports the idea that diet can influence peptide hormone levels.

What is kori-tofu?

Kori-tofu (or koyadofu) is a traditional Japanese freeze-dried tofu with concentrated soy protein. This study found its protein, especially the resistant fraction that survives digestion, can stimulate GLP-1 production and improve metabolic health.

Read the original research

Kori-tofu ameliorates obesity and steatotic liver disease through enhancing GLP-1 production in the ileum.

International journal of biological macromolecules, 341(Pt 2), 149537

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Diao, Pan; Zhang, Xuguang; Ishiguro, Takahiro; Wang, Xiaojing; Tanabe, Kazuhiro; Hayashi, Chihiro; Kittaka, Hiroki; Imamura, Hitomi; Nakajima, Tomoyuki; Zhang, Zhe; Wang, Yaping; Nakajima, Takero; Kimura, Takefumi; Kawakubo, Masatomo; Nakayama, Jun; Nakamuta, Makoto; Tanaka, Naoki. (2026). Kori-tofu ameliorates obesity and steatotic liver disease through enhancing GLP-1 production in the ileum.. International journal of biological macromolecules, 341(Pt 2), 149537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.149537