Three-fold amounts of ordinary intake (2 pieces by 4-times) of sugar alcohol-containing chewing gum were ingested by 15 male and 15 female subjects 4-times in a day (total 24 pieces) for 1week, and the effects on blood biochemical parameters, urinary property, fecal conditions including fecal frequency and constituents and abdominal symptoms were observed. The study design was randomized single blinded placebo controlled crossover experiment. A total of 24 pieces of test chewing gum contained total sugar alcohols 21.9g (maltitol 14.4g, xylitol 7.2g and others 0.3g) and placebo gum was replaced with sucrose instead of sugar alcohols. No high osmotic diarrhea was caused in every subject. Fecal conditions including fecal frequency and constituents were not significantly different between test and placebo chewing gum groups. Abdominal symptoms were also not significantly different between test and placebo chewing gum groups, but flatus frequently occurred in test chewing gum group. Biochemical data and components of blood and urinary properties were not affected by ingestion of test chewing gum. These results are demonstrated that even 3-fold amounts of ingestion (24 pieces) of ordinary intake of sugar alcohol-containing chewing gum in a day does not induce harmful effects in healthy subjects and the ordinary intake of sugar alcohol-containing chewing gum is safe.
placebo. For the entire seven weeks, the subjects filled out daily questionnaires concerning their defecation and fecal conditions and weekly questionnaires concerning their health conditions. Subjects with slight constipation significantly increased their frequency of defecation, the number of days with defecation, and the amount of defecation during the test period when they received the beverage containing indigestible dextrin, as compared to the control period (n=12). Moreover, these subjects also significantly increased their number of days with defecation compared to those when consuming the placebo beverage. The health conditions questionnaire also showed an improvement in constipation when the subjects consumed the beverage containing indigestible dextrin.
The present review refers to the proposal for resolving the confusion on concept of dietary fiber in the world. The working committee established by Japanese Association for Dietary Fiber Research (JDF) in 1997 first overviewed the changes of discussions on the definition, terminology and classification of dietary fiber conducted in different countries since 1972. Further reviewing has been carried out concerning the physiological significance and classification of new indigestible substances appearing year by year with the proceedings of the researches in this field. Based on the discussions, the committee members agreed that the term "dietary fiber" is inappropriate as a term which covers all indigestible components. The "luminacoids" was designed, as a comprehensive term that covers all such components, including dietary fiber in the conventional meaning. This comprehensive terminology should be classified into starch and non-starch components. Dietary fiber is a major component of non-starch substances and can be sub-classified into polysaccharides and lignin. Thus, the definition of "luminacoids" is proposed as follows: "dietary components which are not digested and/or absorbed in the human small intestine and which exert physiological effect that are useful in maintaining good health via the gastrointestinal tract". After presenting the proposal to the Annual Meeting of JDF in 1998 and 1999, it was finally approved at the 6th Annual Meeting in November 2000. We further describe the significance of new proposal by JDF , and also compare and discuss about these advantages and drawbacks of each revised definition of dietary fiber proposed currently by five international organizations and other investigators.
若年者において, 動物性食品摂取量が増加し, 魚介類摂取量が減少している原因の究明を目的に, 4週齢ラットにラード食, 大豆油食, 魚油食を8週間摂取 (実験食摂取期間) させた後に, ラード食と魚油食の選択摂取 (選択摂取期間) を行わせ, 魚油の嗜好性に及ぼす成長期の摂取油脂の影響を調べた。実験食摂取期間後の血漿トリアシルグリセロールと総コレステロール濃度は, 魚油食群が他の2群に比べて低かった。選択摂取開始直後の魚油食摂取割合［魚油食摂取量 (g) /総摂取量 (g) ］はラード食群が最も高く, 大豆油食群, 魚油食群の順に低かった。しかし, ラード食群と大豆油食群の魚油食摂取割合はしだいに低下し, 逆に魚油食群は増加し, 選択摂取7-9日目以降の魚油食摂取割合は, 3群とも約20%となり, 選択摂取期間後の血漿脂質濃度にも3群間で有意な差はみられなくなった。したがって, 3群のラットは, 実験食摂取期間に不足した脂肪酸を選択摂取開始直後に補足し, その後は必須脂肪酸摂取割合 (n-6/n-3) 3でラード食と魚油食を選択摂取したことから, ラットは適正な比率で必須脂肪酸を摂取する能力を有していると推測された。
