Inflammation index estimation system, inflammation index variation calculation system, inflammation index estimation method, inflammation index variation calculation method, and program

Abstract

An inflammation index estimation system (1A) has: a food intake amount calculation unit (11) that calculates a daily intake amount for each of a plurality of foods and menus on the basis of intake frequencies for the foods and menus entered into a food intake frequency questionnaire (2); a nutrient intake amount calculation unit (12) that references food / nutrient conversion data (21) that indicates the amounts of a plurality of nutrients in the foods and menus per unit amount and calculates a daily intake amount for each of the nutrients on the basis of the daily intake amount for each of the foods and menus calculated by the food intake amount calculation unit (11); and an inflammation index calculation unit (13) that, on the basis of nutrient index data (23) and the daily intake amount for each of the nutrients calculated by the nutrient intake amount calculation unit (12), calculates the sum of inflammation indexes calculated in accordance with the intake amount for each of the nutrients as an inflammation index for a daily diet.

Description

Inflammation index estimation system, inflammation index change amount calculation system, inflammation index estimation method, inflammation index change amount calculation method and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an inflammation index estimation system, an inflammation index change amount calculation system, an inflammation index estimation method, an inflammation index change amount calculation method, and a program.

[0002] The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which numerically represents dietary habits that are likely to cause inflammation and those that are unlikely to cause inflammation, is known (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 to 7). The DII scores the pro-inflammatory effects of 45 nutrients and foods, and allows these scores to be added together. It is known that a diet with a low DII (hereinafter referred to as "DII") is less likely to cause inflammation, while a diet with a high DII is more likely to cause various diseases such as lifestyle-related diseases and cancer. Therefore, the DII has attracted attention from the perspective of diet and health maintenance.

[0003] When the daily intake of 45 nutrients of a subject is known, the overall inflammation-inducing effect of the subject's diet can be quantified as an inflammation index. The inflammation index is mainly applied to epidemiological studies on nutrition, and it has been shown that a diet with a high inflammation index increases the incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression, proving the medical importance of the inflammation index.

[0004] Meanwhile, in clinical settings, a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is used as a tool to clarify a patient's food intake status (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 8 to 10).

[0005] Shivappa, N., Steck, S. E., Hurley, T. G., Hussey, J. R. & Hebert, J. R. Designing and developing a literature-derived, population-based dietary inflammatory index. Public Health Nutr 17, 1689-1696 (2014).Shivappa, N. et al. Dietary Inflammatory Index and Cardiovascular Risk and Mortality-A Meta-Analysis. Nutrients vol. 10 Preprint at https: / / doi.org / 10.3390 / nu10020200 (2018).Ramallal, R. et al. Dietary Inflammatory Index and Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in the SUN Cohort. PLoS One 10, (2015).Mazidi, M. et al. Dietary inflammatory index and cardiometabolic risk in US adults. Atherosclerosis 276, 23-27 (2018).Fowler, M. E. & Akinyemiju, T. F. Meta-analysis of the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and cancer outcomes. Int J Cancer 141, 2215-2227 (2017).Abe, M. et al. Dietary inflammatory index and risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancer in Japanese adults. www.oncotarget.com, Oncotarget, 2018, Vol. 9, (No. 35), pp: 24028-24040.Shakya, P. R. et al.Dietary inflammatory index (DII(R)) and the risk of depression symptoms in adults. Clinical Nutrition 40, 3631-3642 (2021). Matsunaga et al., Development of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and evaluation of its validity and reproducibility. Bulletin of the Faculty of Human Environment, Fukuoka Women's University, Vol. 38, 31-42 (2007). Hayabuchi et al., A trial plan for a simple dietary survey I. Questionnaire. Bulletin of the Faculty of Home Economics, Fukuoka Women's University, 17, 41-50 (1986). Hayabuchi et al., Examination of a new simple dietary questionnaire. Bulletin of the Faculty of Home Economics, Fukuoka Women's University, 22, 25-36 (1991).

[0006] The inflammation index quantifies the pro-inflammatory effect of an entire diet based on the intake of various foods and nutrients, and has been reported to be associated with cancer and lifestyle-related diseases. Because the DII can quantify the pro-inflammatory effect of an entire diet based on the intake of various foods and nutrients, it is expected to be applied to nutritional guidance tailored to diverse diets characterized by the intake of a wide variety of ingredients. However, to date, the DII has only been used in epidemiological studies and has rarely been used in clinical settings such as therapeutic diets and nutritional guidance. For example, the inflammation index has not yet been used in nutritional guidance for patients with lifestyle-related diseases.

[0007] The reason why the clinical application of the inflammation index has not progressed is that its calculation requires the analysis of all nutrients obtained from all meals in a day, which makes the calculations necessary for that analysis cumbersome, and because it is necessary to grasp the intake of all nutrients without missing anything, it is difficult to use it as an indicator of specific food intake or dietary selection.In other words, the inflammation index is calculated based on the intake of all nutrients in a day, and its calculation requires a detailed dietary survey and cumbersome calculations, making it difficult to use the inflammation index in daily nutritional guidance and as a direct indicator for food selection.

[0008] Until now, nutritional guidance aimed at preventing lifestyle habits has focused mainly on optimizing intake of the three major nutrients. Although appropriate intake amounts for other nutrients have been determined, the current situation is that due to the large number of items, these are not fully incorporated into nutritional guidance.

[0009] In epidemiological studies related to inflammation indices, various food frequency questionnaires (hereinafter referred to as "FFQs") have been used. However, to date, the validity of the FFQ-based inflammation index calculation method has hardly been investigated.

[0010] Research and development of the Mediterranean diet and the Mediterranean-DASH (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet are currently underway overseas as healthy dietary strategies aimed at disease prevention. The Mediterranean diet is a traditional diet consumed by people in Mediterranean countries, including Italy and Greece. It is believed to be useful for preventing and improving lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, and to be effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. The MIND diet is a new dietary approach that combines two dietary approaches and is believed to be effective in preventing Alzheimer's disease. However, the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet do not have specific standards or numerical targets, making them difficult to directly apply to Japanese food culture. Currently, food products are labeled with individual nutrient content, but the overall inflammatory effects of the food cannot be quantified.

[0011] For example, FFQs are used as a method for investigating the nutrients that individuals actually consume. FFQs clarify the nutrient intake of an individual in their everyday dietary life based on the intake amount and frequency of major foods. FFQs have been devised in countries around the world to suit their respective food cultures. In many FFQs, in order to obtain as accurate an intake status as possible, a large number of detailed food items (up to 200 items) characteristic of that region are set, and their validity is evaluated by comparing them with actual dietary surveys. However, there are problems with double counting of meals and over- or underestimation of nutrient intake.

[0012] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an inflammation index estimation system, an inflammation index change calculation system, an inflammation index estimation method, an inflammation index change calculation method, and a program that can simply and easily quantify the inflammation-inducing effect of an individual's overall dietary habits and the estimated inflammation index change caused by foods and meals.

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, the inflammation index estimation system according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of the multiple foods and menu items entered in a food intake frequency questionnaire; a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit, by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates, as the inflammation index for the daily diet, the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit.

[0014] the food intake calculation unit for analysis calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of the multiple foods and menu items entered in the food frequency questionnaire, and calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on dietary record data for the meals that were the subject of the food frequency questionnaire and that were recorded over multiple days separately from the food frequency questionnaire; the nutrient intake calculation unit for analysis calculates a first daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated from the food frequency questionnaire by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount, and calculates a second daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated from the dietary record data; and a regression analysis unit that performs regression analysis between the first intake and the second intake, and determines the slope and intercept of a regression equation for each nutrient with the first intake as an explanatory variable and the second intake as a response variable, wherein the nutrient intake calculation unit is The calculated daily intake of each nutrient may be corrected based on a regression equation having a slope and intercept determined by the regression analysis, and the inflammation index calculation unit may calculate the inflammation index of the nutrient in the daily diet based on the corrected daily intake of each nutrient.

[0015] The analytical food intake calculation unit may use machine learning to identify the types of food and menu items based on images of meals included in the dietary record data.

[0016] An inflammation index estimation system according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake for each food and menu item based on recorded data of daily meals; a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake for each nutrient based on the daily intake for each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit, by referring to data indicating the content of a plurality of nutrients contained in the food and menu items per unit amount; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates, as the inflammation index for the daily diet, the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake for each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit.

[0017] The inflammation index calculation unit may calculate a percentile value of the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit based on the average and standard deviation of the daily intake of each nutrient in a specified group to which the subject belongs, and calculate an inflammation index for each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated percentile value of the daily intake of each nutrient.

[0018] An inflammation index change calculation system according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates, based on the contents of a plurality of nutrients contained in a predetermined amount of food and the average daily intake of each nutrient in the specific population, a total daily intake of each nutrient for each nutrient when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific population; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the total daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, a sum of inflammation indices for each nutrient when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific population, and calculates a change in the inflammation index for each nutrient when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific population by subtracting the standard daily inflammation index for the specific population from the calculated sum of inflammation indices.

[0019] The nutrient intake calculation unit may calculate the total daily intake for each nutrient by adding the average daily intake of the nutrient in the specific group to the content of the nutrient contained in a predetermined amount of food, or by adding the intake of the nutrient calculated by subtracting the average daily intake of the nutrient in the specific group by the ratio of the energy contained in a predetermined amount of food to the average daily intake energy in the specific group.

[0020] An inflammation index change calculation system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates a total daily intake of each nutrient by replacing a portion of the average intake of each nutrient ingested in a daily meal in a specific group with the average intake of a plurality of nutrients ingested in a specific meal menu; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates a sum of inflammation indices when the average intake of nutrients ingested in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of nutrients ingested in a daily meal in the specific group, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the total daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, and subtracts a standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate a change in the inflammation index when a portion of the daily meal in the specific group is replaced with the specific meal menu.

[0021] The nutrient intake calculation unit may calculate the total daily intake for each nutrient by adding two-thirds of the average intake of that nutrient in a daily meal in the specific group to the average intake of that nutrient taken in the specified meal menu, or by adding an intake obtained by subtracting the average intake of that nutrient for the amount of energy contained in the specified meal menu from the average intake of that nutrient in a daily meal in the specific group.

[0022] The specific population may be a population that is identified from the entire population in accordance with predetermined conditions.

[0023] An inflammation index estimation method according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is an inflammation index estimation method executed by an information processing device, which calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of multiple foods and menu items entered in a food intake frequency questionnaire, calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the calculated daily intake of each food and menu item by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount, and calculates the inflammation index for the daily diet as the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated daily intake of each nutrient.

[0024] An inflammation index estimation method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is an inflammation index estimation method executed by an information processing device, which calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the daily meal record data, calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the calculated daily intake of each food and menu item by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the food and menu item per unit amount, and calculates the inflammation index for the daily meal as the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated daily intake of each nutrient.

[0025] A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a method for calculating a change in an inflammation index, which is executed by an information processing device, and includes the steps of: calculating a total daily intake of each nutrient in a specific population when a specific amount of food is added to or substituted for the specific population's daily diet, based on the content of each nutrient in a specific amount and the average daily intake of each nutrient in the specific population; calculating a sum of inflammation indices in the specific population when a specific amount of food is added to or substituted for the specific population's daily diet, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated total daily intake of each of the multiple nutrients; and subtracting the standard daily inflammation index in the specific population from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate a change in the inflammation index when a specific amount of food is added to or substituted for the specific population's daily diet.

[0026] An inflammation index change calculation method according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is a method executed by an information processing device, which calculates a total daily intake of each nutrient by replacing a portion of the average intake of each nutrient ingested in a daily meal in a specific group with the average intake of a plurality of nutrients ingested in a specific meal menu, calculates a total daily intake of each nutrient, calculates a sum of inflammation indices when the average intake of nutrients ingested in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of nutrients ingested in a daily meal in the specific group based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated total daily intake of each nutrient, and subtracts the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate a change in inflammation index when a portion of the daily meal in the specific group is replaced with the specific meal menu.

[0027] A ninth aspect of the present invention provides a program that causes a computer to function as: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of the multiple foods and menu items entered in a food intake frequency questionnaire; a nutrient intake calculation unit that refers to data indicating the contents of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount and calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates the sum of the inflammation indexes calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, as the inflammation index for the daily diet.

[0028] A program according to a tenth aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake for each food and menu item based on recorded data of daily meals; a nutrient intake calculation unit that refers to data indicating the contents of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount and calculates the daily intake for each nutrient based on the daily intake for each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates, as the inflammation index for the daily diet, the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake for each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit.

[0029] A program according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates, based on the contents of a plurality of nutrients contained in a predetermined amount of food and the average daily intake of each nutrient in the specific population, a total daily intake of each nutrient for each nutrient when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific population; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the total daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, a sum of inflammation indexes for when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific population, and subtracts the standard daily inflammation index for the specific population from the calculated sum of inflammation indexes to calculate a change in the inflammation index for when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific population.

[0030] A program according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates a total daily intake for each nutrient by replacing a portion of the average intake of each nutrient ingested in a daily meal with the average intake of a plurality of nutrients ingested in a predetermined meal menu; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates a sum of inflammation indices when the average intake of nutrients ingested in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of nutrients ingested in a daily meal in a specific group, based on the inflammation index per unit intake for each nutrient and the total daily intake for each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, and subtracts the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate a change in the inflammation index when a portion of the daily meal for the specific group is replaced with the predetermined meal menu.

[0031] According to the present invention, the inflammation-inducing effect of an individual's overall dietary habits and the estimated changes in the inflammation index caused by foods and meals can be quantified in a simple manner.

[0032] 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an inflammation index estimation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the format of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of food / nutrient conversion data. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of other components of the inflammation index estimation system of FIG. 1. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a regression equation obtained by regression analysis. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of data used to calculate an inflammation index. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the inflammation index estimation system of FIG. 1. FIG. 19 is a flowchart of inflammation index estimation processing executed by the inflammation index estimation system of FIG. 1. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an inflammation index estimation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an inflammation index change calculation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of food / nutrient conversion data. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of average nutrient intake data of a subject population. FIG. 21 is a flowchart of inflammation index change calculation processing (calculation of FDii) executed by the inflammation index change calculation system of FIG. 9. FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an inflammation index change calculation system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of diet / nutrient conversion data. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of average nutrient intake data of a subject population. FIG. 25 is a flowchart of inflammation index change calculation processing (calculation of MDii) executed by the inflammation index change calculation system of FIG. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the inflammation index and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. 2 is a graph showing the association between the inflammation index and diabetic complications. 3 is a graph showing the correlation between FDii and greenhouse gas emissions.

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following embodiments, the terms "have," "include," or "contain" also mean "consist of" or "consist of."

[0034] First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the configuration and operation of an inflammation index estimation system that quantifies a dietary inflammation index (inflammation index) based on the details recorded in a food frequency questionnaire, for example, in a clinical setting, will be described.

[0035] [Inflammation Index Estimation System] First, the configuration of the inflammation index estimation system will be described. The inflammation index estimation system 1A according to this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 calculates a dietary inflammation index (inflammation index) for a daily diet of a patient (subject) based on the contents of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) 2 obtained from the patient (subject) in a clinical setting.

[0036] [Food Frequency Questionnaire] As shown in FIG. 2 , FFQ2 allows the subject to enter the frequency of daily intake of foods and menu items for each food and menu item. Hereinafter, foods and menu items will be referred to simply as "foods." For example, FFQ2 lists the unit intake amount for each food item. For example, the unit intake amount for an egg is one egg (60 g), the unit intake amount for milk is one cup (100 g), and the unit intake amount for yogurt is one small cup (100 g). The subject looks at the unit intake amount and enters in FFQ2 how often they consume that unit intake amount of each food item. The foods are not limited to those shown in FIG. 2 , and the subject can enter the intake frequency of various unit intake amounts. For example, the subject can enter the intake frequency of a total of 75 food items, such as meat, stewed meat, stir-fried meat, raw fish, tofu, spinach, fruit, white rice, etc. Furthermore, FFQ2 allows participants to enter answers to 10 additional questions (such as type of milk, fish preference, whether or not fortified rice is consumed, etc.). As described below, food intake may be adjusted based on the answers to the additional questions. For example, if a participant answers that they eat brown rice or barley rice in relation to fortified rice, the intake of nutrients derived from rice may be adjusted.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, the inflammation index estimation system 1A includes a calculation unit 10 and a storage unit 20. The calculation unit 10 performs calculations and includes a food intake calculation unit 11, a nutrient intake calculation unit 12, and an inflammation index calculation unit 13. The storage unit 20 stores data and stores food-nutrient conversion data 21, regression equation data 22, and nutrient index data 23.

[0038] [Food intake calculation unit] The food intake calculation unit 11 calculates the daily intake of each food based on the intake frequency of the unit intake amount of each food entered in the FFQ2. Specifically, the intake frequencies of the multiple foods entered in the FFQ2 are first input to the food intake calculation unit 11. The information entered in the FFQ2 may be input by operating the operation unit 44 (see Figure 6). Alternatively, the food intake calculation unit 11 may read the information entered in the FFQ2 using a scanner and obtain the intake frequencies of the multiple foods entered in the FFQ2 based on the read information.

[0039] The food intake calculation unit 11 calculates the daily intake amount for each of the 75 food items. For example, if once a week is checked for one egg in FFQ2, the daily egg intake is calculated as follows: 1 (egg) × 1 / 7 (once a week) = 0.1428571. Similarly, if one to three times a month is checked for a small cup of yogurt in FFQ2, the daily yogurt intake is calculated as follows: 1 (egg) × 2 / 30 (twice a month) = 0.1333333. In this way, the food intake calculation unit 11 calculates a numerical value indicating the intake frequency for each food item.

[0040] 1, the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food calculated by the food intake calculation unit 11. Food / nutrient conversion data 21 is used for this calculation.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3 , the food / nutrient conversion data 21 indicates the content of multiple nutrients contained in a unit amount of food. For example, the food / nutrient conversion data 21 indicates that one egg provides 76 kcal of energy, and one small glass of milk provides 121 kcal of energy. Thus, the food / nutrient conversion data 21 also indicates the amount of 45 types of nutrients (protein, fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, etc.) contained in a unit intake of food. The number of nutrients is not limited to 45. Nutrients that are consumed in low amounts in Japanese diets, such as rosemary, may be removed, or new nutrients may be added. For example, the calculation may use the content of 30 or 29 nutrients excluding polyphenols, which are found in foods with low levels of data, from the many nutrients listed in the Tables of Food Composition in Japan published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Furthermore, items with limited data may be excluded. For example, eugenol, garlic, ginger, onion, saffron, trans fatty acids, turmeric, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and polyphenols (six items including flavones, flavanols, isoflavones, etc.) may be excluded from the list.

[0042] The nutrient intake calculation unit 12 calculates the amount by multiplying the daily intake of each food calculated by the food intake calculation unit 11 by the amount of nutrients contained per unit intake of each food contained in the food / nutrient conversion data 21, and calculates the total amount of the same nutrients calculated as the intake of multiple nutrients ingested in a day.

[0043] For example, the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 calculates the amount by multiplying the daily intake of eggs calculated by the food intake calculation unit 11 by the energy of the eggs included in the food / nutrient conversion data 21. Similarly, the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 calculates the amount by multiplying the daily intake of a total of 75 items, such as milk and yogurt, by the amount of energy contained in each unit intake of the food included in the food / nutrient conversion data 21, and calculates the total of the calculated amounts of energy as the daily energy intake. In this way, the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 multiplies the daily intake of the following nutrients by the content of each nutrient for each food in the food and nutrient conversion data 21: energy (kcal), protein (g), lipids (g), saturated fatty acids (g), monounsaturated fatty acids (g), polyunsaturated fatty acids (g), cholesterol (mg), carbohydrates (g), total dietary fiber (g), magnesium (mg), iron (mg), zinc (mg), selenium (μg), β-carotene (μg), retinol activity equivalent (μg), vitamin D (μg), vitamin E (mg), vitamin B1 (mg), vitamin B2 (mg), niacin (mg), vitamin B6 (mg), vitamin B12 (μg), folic acid (μg), vitamin C (mg), alcohol (g), caffeine (g), polyphenols (g), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (g), n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (g), and green tea / black tea leaves (g). The nutrient intake calculation unit 12 then calculates the total of the multiplication results as the daily intake of multiple nutrients. There are, for example, 45 types of nutrients. Note that the nutrient intakes for each nutrient may also be calculated by adding water, salt equivalent, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin K, copper, iodine, etc.

[0044] [Regression Analysis] Errors may occur between the data recorded in FFQ2 and the foods and menu items actually consumed by the subject. Furthermore, because FFQ2 is a survey of representative foods and menu items, errors may occur due to missing nutrients in foods and menu items not included in FFQ2, or overlapping of listed foods and menu items. Therefore, prior to calculating the inflammation index, the inflammation index estimation system 1A performs a regression analysis in which the daily nutrient intake calculated based on FFQ2 is used as an explanatory variable, and the daily nutrient intake calculated based on dietary record data containing accurate data on ingested foods is used as a response variable to generate a regression equation. A regression equation is generated for each nutrient. Hereinafter, dietary record data will also be referred to as DR, as appropriate.

[0045] To perform this regression analysis, as shown in FIG. 4A , the calculation unit 10 of the inflammation index estimation system 1A includes the food intake calculation unit 11, nutrient intake calculation unit 12, and inflammation index calculation unit 13 shown in FIG. 1 , as well as an analytical food intake calculation unit 31, an analytical nutrient intake calculation unit 32, and a regression analysis unit 33. The dietary record data (DR) 3 is the diet that was the subject of the FFQ2 (the actual diet of the subject who completed the FFQ2), and is data showing a record of the actual diet consumed by the subject over multiple days, e.g., a period of several months. In comparison with the FFQ2, the dietary record data (DR) 3 is data indicating the types and amounts of foods derived from the diet, providing objective data indicating the contents of the diet. In addition to the data indicating the types and amounts of foods, image data of each meal may be included in the dietary record data 3 as auxiliary information.

[0046] Similar to the food intake calculation unit 11, the analytical food intake calculation unit 31 calculates the daily intake of each food based on the intake frequency of the unit intake amounts of multiple foods entered in the FFQ2. Furthermore, the analytical food intake calculation unit 31 calculates the daily intake of each food based on the meal record data 3. The analytical food intake calculation unit 31 may be equipped with a machine learning device that identifies food and menu types based on meal images included in the meal record data through machine learning. The machine learning device may be a deep learning device. The machine learning device used is one that has previously been trained based on training data including image data of meals and food and menu types. The analytical food intake calculation unit 31 prompts the user to input the amount of each identified food or menu type as part of the meal record data 3. In this way, the analytical food intake calculation unit 31 calculates the daily intake of each food based on the identified and input amount of each food or menu type.

[0047] Similar to the nutrient intake calculation unit 12, the nutrient intake calculation unit for analysis 32 refers to the food / nutrient conversion data 21 and calculates a first daily intake for each nutrient based on the daily intake for each food calculated based on the FFQ 2. Furthermore, the nutrient intake calculation unit for analysis 32 calculates a second daily intake for each nutrient based on the daily intake for each food calculated based on the diet record data 3.

[0048] The regression analysis unit 33 performs a regression analysis between the first intake and the second intake. As shown in FIG. 4B , the regression analysis unit 33 determines the slope and intercept of a regression equation for each nutrient, with the first intake (i.e., the estimated daily nutrient intake according to FFQ2) as the explanatory variable and the second intake (i.e., the estimated daily nutrient intake according to DR) as the objective variable. The slope and intercept are calculated using the following formula: Slope = Correlation coefficient between the first intake and the second intake × (Standard deviation of the second intake / Standard deviation of the first intake) Intercept = Average of the second intake − (Slope × Average of the first intake) The determined regression formula is stored in the storage unit 20 as the regression formula data 22 shown in FIG. 1 . Note that the formula used in the regression analysis is not limited to a linear regression formula and may be a nonlinear formula.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4B, the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 corrects the converted daily intake of each nutrient based on the regression equation having the slope and intercept stored in the regression equation data 22. Specifically, the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 inputs the daily intake of each nutrient calculated based on FFQ2 as an explanatory variable into the regression equation shown in Figure 4B, obtains the corrected daily intake of each nutrient, and inputs it into the inflammation index calculation unit 13.

[0050] Furthermore, when the agreement between the inflammation index calculated from the nutrient intake estimated using the regression equation from FFQ2 and the inflammation index calculated from dietary record data 3 was evaluated using Bland-Altman analysis, it was confirmed that the average difference was close to 0 and the 95% limits of agreement were within a narrow range.

[0051] [Inflammation Index Calculation Unit] As shown in FIG. 1 , the inflammation index calculation unit 13 calculates the sum of inflammation indices calculated according to the intake amount of each nutrient as the inflammation index for the daily diet, based on the daily intake amount of each nutrient input from the nutrient intake calculation unit 12. The inflammation index is calculated by referring to the nutrient index data 23. As shown in FIG. 5 , the nutrient index data 23 includes statistical data such as the average and standard deviation of each nutrient, as well as the inflammation index. The statistical data and inflammation index are data obtained from multiple subjects. For example, if the subjects are Japanese, the statistical data may be statistical data for Japanese people. The inflammation index calculation unit 13 may use the average and standard deviation of the daily intake amount of each nutrient in a specific group to which the subject belongs. If the subject is from Fukuoka Prefecture, the group may be Fukuoka Prefecture, or may include East Asian countries, or may include all of humanity. The group to be set is arbitrary.

[0052] The inflammation index calculation unit 13 calculates percentile values ​​of the daily nutrient intakes input from the nutrient intake calculation unit 12. The percentile values ​​range from −1 to +1 and are calculated based on the average intake and standard deviation of each nutrient included in the nutrient index data 23. For example, percentile values ​​of intake are calculated for each nutrient, such as energy, protein, lipids, saturated fatty acids, and monounsaturated fatty acids.

[0053] Furthermore, the inflammation index calculation unit 13 multiplies the calculated percentile value for each nutrient by the inflammation index included in the nutrient index data 23, and calculates the sum of the products as the inflammation index for each nutrient of the subject. That is, the inflammation index is calculated as the sum (total) of the inflammation index, i.e., the value obtained by multiplying the percentile value of nutrients such as energy, protein, lipids, saturated fatty acids, and monounsaturated fatty acids by the inflammation index.

[0054] The inflammation index scores of the WHO's global dietary sample range from -8.87 to 7.98, but the average inflammation index score for Japanese people calculated using 29 items is -0.427.

[0055] [Hardware Configuration] The inflammation index estimation system 1A shown in Fig. 1 is realized, for example, by a computer 40 having the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 6 executing a software program. Specifically, the computer 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41 that controls the entire device, a main memory 42 that operates as a work area or the like for the CPU 41, an external memory 43 that stores a program 49 or the like to be executed by the CPU 41, an operation unit 44, a display 45, an input / output unit 46, and an internal bus 48 that connects these.

[0056] The CPU 41 executes the program 49 to realize the functions of the inflammation index estimation system 1A.

[0057] The main memory 42 is composed of RAM (Random Access Memory) etc. A program 49 to be executed by the CPU 41 is loaded into the main memory 42 from the external memory 43. The main memory 42 is also used as a working area (temporary data storage area) for the CPU 41.

[0058] The external memory 43 is configured by a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, a hard disk, etc. The external memory 43 stores in advance a program 49 to be executed by the CPU 41.

[0059] The operation unit 44 is made up of devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and an interface device that connects these devices to the internal bus 48. Data written in the FFQ2 can be input by operating the operation unit 44.

[0060] The display 45 is configured by a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a liquid crystal monitor, etc. The calculated inflammation index is displayed on the display 45.

[0061] The input / output unit 46 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from external devices. Data is input and output via the input / output unit 46.

[0062] The functions of the inflammation index estimation system 1A can be implemented in a computer system consisting of one or more computers including one or more processors and one or more storage devices including non-transitory storage media. The multiple computers realize the functions of the inflammation index estimation system 1A while communicating via an interconnected communication network. For example, some of the multiple functions of the inflammation index estimation system 1A may be implemented in one computer, and other parts may be implemented in other computers. The hardware configurations of the inflammation index estimation system 1B and inflammation index change calculation systems 1C and 1D described below are also the same as those shown in FIG. 6.

[0063] [Inflammation Index Estimation Method] Next, an inflammation index estimation process, that is, an inflammation index estimation method, executed by the inflammation index estimation system 1A according to this embodiment will be described.

[0064] First, as shown in Figure 7, the food intake calculation unit 11 calculates the daily intake of each food item (daily food intake) based on the intake frequency of the unit intake of each food item entered in FFQ2 (Step S1). This allows the subject's daily intake of 75 food items to be obtained. The number of food items for which intakes can be obtained is not limited to 75.

[0065] Next, the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 refers to the food / nutrient conversion data 21 and calculates the daily intake of each nutrient (daily nutrient intake) based on the daily intake of each food calculated by the food intake calculation unit 11 (step S2). This allows the subject's daily intake of 45 types of nutrients to be obtained. The types of nutrients for which intakes can be obtained are not limited to 45 types. For example, the number of types of nutrients may be 30.

[0066] Next, the inflammation index calculation unit 13 calculates the inflammation index for the daily diet based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit 12 (step S3). Specifically, the inflammation index calculation unit 13 calculates the sum of the inflammation indices calculated for each nutrient as the inflammation index for the subject's daily diet.

[0067] As described above in detail, the inflammation index estimation system 1A according to the present embodiment uses the FFQ2, which reveals the intake amounts of 75 food items actually used in clinical settings for nutritional assessment, to estimate the daily intake of each nutrient, calculate the inflammation index for each nutrient, and calculate the sum of the inflammation indices for multiple nutrients as the inflammation index for the subject's daily diet, thereby making it possible to accurately quantify the overall inflammation-inducing effect of a person's daily diet in a simple manner. In other words, the inflammation index estimation system 1A makes it possible to quantify the inflammation-inducing effect of an individual's overall diet and the estimated change in the inflammation index caused by foods and meals in a simple manner.

[0068] Since the FFQ2 is already being used in clinical settings, if this calculation method could be put into practical use, it would be possible to provide nutritional guidance interventions using the inflammation index with the aim of preventing lifestyle-related diseases. Numerous studies have shown that a diet with a low inflammation index reduces the risk of various lifestyle-related diseases, making it possible to provide evidence-based, customized nutritional guidance.

[0069] According to the inflammation index estimation system 1A of this embodiment, the daily intake of nutrients estimated from the FFQ2 is compared with the daily intake of nutrients obtained from the actual dietary record data, and the daily intake of nutrients estimated from the FFQ2 is corrected so that it approaches the daily intake of nutrients obtained from the actual dietary record data 3. In this way, the daily intake of nutrients estimated from the FFQ2 is made objective data, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the subject's daily intake of nutrients.

[0070] As described above, the inflammation index estimation system 1A according to the present embodiment can be realized by application software executed by a computer, which enables sales to food companies and intervention in nutritional guidance by clinical doctors, enabling guidance while comprehensively evaluating micronutrients.

[0071] The inflammation index estimation system 1A is a simple system suitable for clinical application that uses the FFQ2, which reveals the intake of 75 food items used in nutritional assessment. The validity and effectiveness of this calculation method have been verified in clinical research using 30 healthy volunteer patients. The use of the inflammation index estimation system 1A also makes it possible to provide nutritional guidance intervention aimed at preventing lifestyle-related diseases.

[0072] According to the inflammation index estimation system 1A of this embodiment, the inflammation-promoting effect of the entire diet can be quantified as an inflammation index from the intake of various foods and nutrients using the average and standard deviation of the nutrient intakes of Japanese people.Therefore, the inflammation index can be applied to nutritional guidance for the diet of Japanese people, which is characterized by the intake of a wide variety of ingredients.

[0073] The inflammation index estimation system 1A according to the present embodiment can be applied as a tool for providing nutritional guidance to patients with lifestyle-related diseases, of which the number is estimated to be approximately 18.5 million in Japan, as well as a tool for promoting the health of all people who are in a so-called pre-disease state.

[0074] First, a description will be given of a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, an inflammation index estimation system 1B according to this embodiment differs from the inflammation index estimation system 1A according to the above embodiment in that it includes a food intake calculation unit 14 instead of the food intake calculation unit 11.

[0075] The food intake calculation unit 14 inputs the meal record data 3. The food intake calculation unit 14 calculates the daily intake of each food based on the recorded daily meal record data 3. The meal record data 3 may also include image data of the meals. The food intake calculation unit 14 may include a machine learning machine with the same functions as the machine learning machine included in the analytical food intake calculation unit 31 according to the first embodiment. Like the machine learning machine according to the first embodiment, this machine learning machine is pre-trained based on training data indicating the relationship between image data of meals and types of food and menu items. When image data of a meal is input, the machine learning machine is configured to be able to identify the types of food and menu items included in the meal. For each of the identified food and menu items, the food intake calculation unit 14 prompts the user to input the amount of that food or menu item as part of the meal record data 3. In this way, the food intake calculation unit 14 calculates the daily intake of each food based on the amounts of the identified and input foods or menu items.

[0076] The nutrient intake calculation unit 12 refers to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in food and menu per unit amount, i.e., food / nutrient conversion data 21, and calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food calculated by the food intake calculation unit 14. The inflammation index calculation unit 13 is the same as the inflammation index estimation system 1A of the first embodiment in that it calculates the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit 12, as the inflammation index for the daily diet.

[0077] Embodiment 3 First, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The inflammation index change calculation system 1C according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 9 further develops the inflammation index calculated by the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B according to the first and second embodiments, and calculates the change in inflammation index caused by a specific food (the potential of a specific food to change the inflammation index). Hereinafter, the change in inflammation index caused by a food is referred to as the inflammation index for that food (Food DII; FDii). Hereinafter, FDii will be referred to as Foodi.

[0078] FDii (Foodie) is an application of the inflammatory index to food selection. FDii is a quantified index that measures the change in the inflammatory index when a specific amount of a certain food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of a specific target population (e.g., Japanese people). This makes it possible to evaluate the change in the daily dietary inflammatory index when a certain food is included in a regular diet.

[0079] 9, the inflammation index change calculation system 1C differs from the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B according to the first embodiment in that it inputs designated data 4 instead of information entered in an FFQ 2. The designated data 4 is information that designates the food and specific population for which the inflammation index is to be calculated. The designated data 4 may indicate the name of the food, image data of the food, or a barcode indicating the food.

[0080] In the inflammation index change calculation system 1C, the calculation unit 10 includes a nutrient intake calculation unit 16 and an inflammation index change calculation unit 17. Designated data 4 is input to the nutrient intake calculation unit 16. Furthermore, in the inflammation index change calculation system 1C, the storage unit 20 includes food / nutrient conversion data 21, nutrient index data 23, and average nutrient intake data 24 of the subject group, which is the group to which the subject belongs. As described above, the food / nutrient conversion data 21 is data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in food per unit amount. Here, as shown in FIG. 10 for example, the food / nutrient conversion data 21 includes the energy E1 per 100 g unit amount of food A and the content P1 of nutrients N1, N2, ... contained in food A. Ｎ１ , P1 Ｎ２ , .... As shown in Fig. 5, the nutrient index data 23 is data indicating statistical data such as the average and standard deviation of each nutrient for each specific group, as well as an inflammation index.

[0081] The average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population is data showing the average daily intake of each nutrient for each specific population. This specific population can be the entire world (all of humanity), or a limited population such as Japanese people or residents of a specific region. In other words, the specific population is a group identified from the entire population (the entire world) according to predetermined conditions. As shown in FIG. 11 , the average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population includes the average daily energy intake E2 of Japanese people and the content P2 of nutrients N1, N2, ... Ｎ１ , P2 Ｎ２ , .... Furthermore, the storage unit 20 stores inflammation index data 25 of a typical individual in the target population. The average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population and the inflammation index data 25 of a typical individual in the target population are statistical data obtained in advance for a specific population (e.g., Japanese people).

[0082] (Calculation of FDii) First, the function and operation of each unit that calculates FDii will be described. The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 refers to the food / nutrient conversion data 21 and reads out the content of nutrients contained in a predetermined amount of food for the food specified in the specification data 4. For example, as shown in Figure 10, when food A is specified in the specification data 4, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the content P1 of each nutrient N1, N2, ... contained per 100 g of food A from the food / nutrient conversion data 21. Ｎ１ (g), P1 Ｎ２ (g), .... If the specified data 4 is image data or a barcode of a food, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 may be equipped with a machine learning machine that identifies the food from the image data or a decoder that identifies the food from the barcode.

[0083] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 refers to the average nutrient intake data 24 of the target group and reads out the average daily intake of the nutrient in the specific target group. Here, it is assumed that Japanese people are specified as the specific group in the designation data 4. The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the total daily intake of each nutrient when a specific amount of food is added to the daily diet of the specific target group, based on the content of the nutrient contained in a specific amount of food and the average daily intake of the nutrient in the specific target group. For example, in the example shown in Figures 10 and 11, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the content P1 of nutrient N1 contained in a specific amount (100g) of food A. Ｎ１ In contrast, the average daily intake P2 of the nutrient N1 in a specific population Ｎ１ Add these to calculate the total daily intake T of nutrient N1. T = P1 Ｎ１ +P2 Ｎ１ ... (1) The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 performs similar calculations for the other nutrients N2, ...

[0084] The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the content P1 of the nutrient N1 contained in a predetermined amount of food. Ｎ１ and the average daily intake P2 of the nutrient N1 in the specific target population. Ｎ１and calculate the total daily intake of the nutrient N1 when a predetermined amount of the food is substituted for a daily meal, based on the above. In this case, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 reads the average daily energy intake E2 of Japanese people from the average nutrient intake data 24 of the target group, and also reads the energy E1 contained in a predetermined amount of food from the food / nutrient conversion data 21. Furthermore, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the average daily intake P2 of the nutrient by multiplying the ratio of the energy E1 contained in a predetermined amount of food to the average daily energy intake E2 of the specific group. Ｎ１ Discounted from the intake of the nutrient P2' Ｎ１ Calculate P2'. Ｎ１ = P2 Ｎ１ (1-(E1 / E2)) (2) The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the content P1 of the nutrient N1 contained in a predetermined amount of food. Ｎ１ In contrast, the average daily intake P2' of the nutrient N1 in a specific population Ｎ１ Add up the values ​​for each nutrient to calculate the total daily intake T for each nutrient. T = P1 Ｎ１ +P2' Ｎ１ ... (3) The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 performs similar calculations for the other nutrients N2, ...

[0085] The inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates the inflammation index for each nutrient N1, N2, ... relative to the daily total nutrient intake T when a food is added to or substituted for a daily diet, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the daily total intake T (the above formula (1) or formula (3)) for each of the multiple nutrients N1, N2, ... contained in the food calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit 16. Specifically, the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates the percentile value of the daily total intake T for each nutrient N1, N2, .... The percentile value is calculated based on the average intake and standard deviation of the intake of each nutrient included in the nutrient index data 23 (see FIG. 5 ). The inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates the sum of the inflammation indices when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for a daily diet in a specific group.

[0086] 9 , the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 reads out inflammation index data 25 of a typical individual in the target group. Furthermore, the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 subtracts the typical inflammation index per person per day for the target specific group (here, Japanese people) indicated by the inflammation index data 25 of the typical individual in the target group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices, thereby calculating the change in inflammation index (FDii) when a predetermined amount of the food is added or substituted for the specific group's daily diet. The typical inflammation index per person I for the target specific group, for Japanese people, is −0.427 (calculated using 29 items).

[0087] Next, the inflammation index change calculation process executed by the inflammation index change calculation system 1C, i.e., the inflammation index change calculation method (calculation of FDii), will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, first, for a food (assumed to be food A) designated by designation data 4, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the contents P1 of multiple nutrients N1, N2, ... contained in a predetermined amount of food A. Ｎ１ , P1 Ｎ２ , ... of the specific group (assuming the Japanese people) designated by the designation data 4 from the average nutrient intake data 24 of the target group (step S11). Ｎ１ , P2 Ｎ２ , ... for each nutrient N1, N2, ... (step S12). Furthermore, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the content P1 of the nutrients N1, N2, ... contained in the food. Ｎ１ , P1 Ｎ２ , ... and the average daily intake of the nutrient in the population P2 Ｎ１ , P2 Ｎ２ , ..., the total daily intake T of each nutrient N1, N2, ... is calculated when a predetermined amount of the food is added or substituted for the daily diet of a specific group (step S13).

[0088] Based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient N1, N2, ... and the total daily intake T of each nutrient contained in the food calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit 16, the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates the inflammation index of each nutrient N1, N2, ... when a predetermined amount of the food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of a specific group, and calculates the sum of the inflammation indices of the multiple nutrients N1, N2, ... as the inflammation index for the total daily nutrient intake T (step S14). Here, the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates a percentile value of the total daily intake of each nutrient N1, N2, .... The percentile value is calculated based on the average intake and standard deviation of the nutrients N1, N2, ... included in the nutrient index data 23.

[0089] Furthermore, the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 refers to the inflammation index data 25 of a typical individual in the target population (Japanese people), and subtracts the inflammation index of the typical individual in the target population indicated by the inflammation index data 25 of the typical individual in the target population (the inflammation index derived from the average daily intake of nutrients N1, N2, ... in a specific group (assuming the Japanese people)) from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate the change in inflammation index (FDii) when a predetermined amount of the food is added or substituted for the specific group's daily diet (step S15). In this manner, the FDii of each food, for example, beef, pork, chicken, fish, prepared food, etc., is calculated. After step S15 is completed, the inflammation index change calculation system 1C terminates the inflammation index change calculation process (calculation of FDii). In this embodiment, standard data of a specific group (Japanese people) is used to calculate FDii. However, FDii is essentially a value determined only by the food. Therefore, standard data of the world average may be used to calculate FDii.

[0090] Embodiment 4 First, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. An inflammation index change calculation system 1D according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 13 further develops the inflammation index calculated by the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B according to the first and second embodiments, and calculates the amount of change in the inflammation index due to a specific meal (the potential of a specific food or meal to change the inflammation index). In the following description, the amount of change in the inflammation index due to a meal will be referred to as the inflammation index for each meal (Meal DII; MDii). In the following description, MDii will be referred to as Meal DII.

[0091] The MDii (Meedy) is an application of the inflammation index to dietary selection. The MDii is an index that quantifies the amount of change in the inflammation index, i.e., the amount of change in the inflammation index, when a portion of the daily diet of a specific population (e.g., the global average dietary intake) is replaced with a predetermined meal menu, rather than by individual foods, depending on the total nutrients contained in the entire meal menu. This makes it possible to evaluate the change in the daily inflammation index when, for example, each meal menu at a restaurant or cafeteria is consumed as one meal.

[0092] 13, inflammation index change calculation system 1D is the same as inflammation index change calculation system 1C according to the third embodiment in that it inputs designated data 4 instead of information entered in FFQ 2. In this embodiment, designated data 4 is information that designates a predetermined meal menu for which the inflammation index is to be calculated.

[0093] In the inflammation index change calculation system 1D, the calculation unit 10 includes a nutrient intake calculation unit 16 and an inflammation index change calculation unit 17. Designated data 4 is input to the nutrient intake calculation unit 16. Furthermore, the inflammation index change calculation system 1D is similar to the inflammation index change calculation system 1C in that the memory unit 20 stores nutrient index data 23, average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population, and inflammation index data 25 of a standard individual in the target population. Furthermore, the memory unit 20 stores dietary / nutrient conversion data 26. As shown in FIG. 14 , the dietary / nutrient conversion data 26 is data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in a meal menu per meal. For example, as shown in FIG. 14 , the dietary / nutrient conversion data 26 includes the average intake energy E3 per meal of meal menu B and the average intake P3 of multiple nutrients N1, N2, ... per meal. Ｎ１ , P3 Ｎ２ , .... In this embodiment, for example, the average energy intake E3 per meal is set to, for example, 1 / 3 of the average energy intake in a standard day.

[0094] The average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population is data showing the average daily intake of each nutrient for each specific population. The average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population can be the entire world (all of humanity), or it can be a limited population such as Japanese people or residents living in a specific region. For example, as shown in Figure 15, the average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population includes the average daily energy intake E4 and the average daily intake P4 of nutrients N1, N2, ... for the entire world. Ｎ１ , P4 Ｎ２ , ...includes.

[0095] (Calculation of MDii) Next, the functions and operations of each unit that calculates MDii will be described. A predetermined meal menu to be calculated is specified in the specified data 4. The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 refers to the meal / nutrient conversion data 26 and calculates the average intake P3 of multiple nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in the predetermined meal menu B specified in the specified data 4, as shown in Figure 14. Ｎ１ , P3 Ｎ２, .... Furthermore, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 refers to the average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population, and calculates the average nutrient intake P4 per day for the entire world, as shown in FIG. Ｎ１ , P4 Ｎ２ , ... are read out.

[0096] The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the average intake P3 of the nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in a predetermined meal menu. Ｎ１ , P3 Ｎ２ , ..., and the global average intake of the relevant nutrients N1, N2, ... in the daily diet P4 Ｎ１ , P4 Ｎ２ , ..., and calculates the total daily intake T for each nutrient N1, N2, .... Specifically, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the average intake P3 of the nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in a predetermined meal menu. Ｎ１ , P3 Ｎ２ , ..., the global average intake P4 of the nutrients N1, N2, ... in the daily diet Ｎ１ , P4 Ｎ２ , ... are added together to calculate the total daily intake T for each nutrient. The formula for calculating nutrient N1 is as follows: T = P3 Ｎ１ + (2 / 3) P4 Ｎ１ ... (4) The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 performs similar calculations for the other nutrients N2, ...

[0097] The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the global average intake P4 of each nutrient N1, N2, ... in a daily diet. Ｎ１ , P4 Ｎ２ , ..., the average intake P3 of nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in a given meal menu Ｎ１ , P3 Ｎ２ , ...., and add up the intakes after subtracting the intakes of the nutrients N1, N2, .... In this case, for example, if Japanese people are specified as a specific group, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the global average intake P4 of the nutrients N1, N2, .... Ｎ１ , P4 Ｎ２, ..., minus the average intake of the nutrients N1, N2, ... of the energy E3 contained in one meal of a specified meal menu, P4' Ｎ１ , P4' Ｎ２ , ... are calculated using the following formula. The formula for calculating nutrient N1 is as follows: P4' Ｎ１ = P4 Ｎ１ (1-(E3 / E4)) (5) Furthermore, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 multiplies the calculated intake (for example, P4') by the average intake P3 of the nutrients included in the predetermined meal menu. Ｎ１ ) to calculate the total daily intake T for each nutrient N1, N2, .... The formula for calculating nutrient N1 is as follows: T = P3 Ｎ１ +P4' Ｎ１ ... (6) The nutrient intake calculation unit 16 performs similar calculations for the other nutrients N2, ...

[0098] The inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates the sum of inflammation indices when the average intake of nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in a daily meal in a specific group, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient N1, N2, ... and the total daily intake T of each nutrient N1, N2, ... calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit 16. The inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates a percentile value of the total daily nutrient intake for each nutrient N1, N2, .... The percentile value is calculated based on the average intake and standard deviation of the intake of each nutrient N1, N2, ... included in the nutrient index data 23.

[0099] The inflammation index change calculation unit 17 subtracts a standard daily inflammation index for a group that has been determined in advance from the sum of the calculated inflammation indices, and calculates the change in inflammation index (MDii) when part of the daily meals for a specific group are replaced with a predetermined meal menu.

[0100] Next, the inflammation index change calculation process executed by the inflammation index change calculation system 1D, i.e., the inflammation index change calculation method (calculation of MDii), will be described. As shown in Fig. 16, first, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 refers to the diet / nutrient conversion data 26 and reads out the average intake of each ingested nutrient N1, N2, ... (step S21). As a result, for example, as shown in Fig. 14, the average intake P3 of nutrients N1, N2, ... in a predetermined diet menu B is calculated. Ｎ１ , P3 Ｎ２ , ... are read out.

[0101] Next, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 refers to the average nutrient intake data 24 of the target population to read out the average intakes of nutrients N1, N2, ... in a daily diet for the entire world (step S22). As a result, for example, as shown in Figure 15, the average intake P4 of nutrients N1, N2, ... in a daily diet for the entire world is calculated. Ｎ１ , P4 Ｎ２ , ... are read out.

[0102] Next, the nutrient intake calculation unit 16 calculates the total daily intake of each nutrient N1, N2, ... by replacing a part of the global average intake of each nutrient N1, N2, ... in a daily meal with the average intake of each nutrient N1, N2, ... ingested in a predetermined meal menu (step S23). Here, equation (4) or equations (5), (6), etc. are executed for each nutrient N1, N2, ... to calculate the total daily intake T of each nutrient N1, N2, ....

[0103] Next, the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates the inflammation index for the total daily nutrient intake T based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient N1, N2, ... and the total daily intake T of each nutrient N1, N2, ... contained in the food calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit 16, calculates the inflammation index for each nutrient N1, N2, ... when the average intake of the nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of the nutrients N1, N2, ... ingested in a daily meal in a specific group, and calculates the sum of the calculated inflammation indices for the multiple nutrients N1, N2, ... (step S24). The inflammation index change calculation unit 17 calculates the percentile value of the total daily intake T of each nutrient N1, N2, .... The percentile value is calculated based on the average intake and standard deviation of the nutrients N1, N2, ... contained in the nutrient index data 23.

[0104] Next, the inflammation index change calculation unit 17 references the inflammation index data 25 of the typical individual in the target group from the storage unit 20, subtracts the typical daily inflammation index of the target group indicated by the inflammation index data 25 of the typical individual in the target group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices, and calculates the change in inflammation index (MDii) when part of the daily meals of the specific group are replaced with a predetermined meal menu (step S25). In this way, for example, the MDii for one meal of the specific group is calculated. After step S25 is completed, the inflammation index change calculation system 1D terminates the inflammation index change calculation process (calculation of MDii).

[0105] The FDii or MDii value estimated by the above-described inflammation index estimation process is displayed on a food or meal so that consumers can easily understand it, for example, along with a quality label. Unlike the conventional display of individual nutritional contents of a food, the FDii and MDii visualize the total inflammation-inducing effect of the food. Consumers can select foods with an awareness of their anti-inflammatory effects by viewing the FDii or MDii display. Furthermore, food manufacturers and retailers can increase the added value of foods by quantifying and displaying the anti-inflammatory effects of foods.

[0106] In this way, the FDii or MDii can be used as a standard for consumers to select foods or meals, and therefore the FDii or MDii can be adopted as a standard for foods or meals.

[0107] As described above in detail, the inflammation index change calculation system 1C according to this embodiment can use the FDii, which quantifies the inflammation index for each food, to provide an easy-to-understand index of food selection and the nutritional balance of 45 items contained in the food. Furthermore, the MDii, which quantifies the inflammation index for each meal, can also provide an easy-to-understand index of food selection and the nutritional balance of the meal.

[0108] For example, by displaying the FDii and MDii as numerical values ​​on each meal menu at a restaurant, it becomes possible to understand the change in the inflammatory index of the food or meal consumed as one meal, and instantly know how much the inflammatory index will increase or decrease by adding or subtracting one dish. Furthermore, the FDii and MDii can be applied to Japanese food culture as specific numerical targets and indicators for food selection to achieve a healthy diet that will prevent disease, similar to the Mediterranean diet and MIND diet.

[0109] In addition, FDii or MDii can be an objective indicator to guarantee the low inflammatory potential of foods or meals, and therefore food or meal certification services can be provided using FDii or MDii as an indicator.

[0110] (Correlation between Inflammation Index and Disease) The correlation between the inflammation index and disease has been reported. For example, FIG. 17A shows the time series changes in the incidence of cardiovascular disease in people with a high, medium, and low inflammation index. As shown in FIG. 17A, it has been revealed that the higher the inflammation index, the higher the incidence of cardiovascular disease. In order to treat or prevent cardiovascular disease, the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B according to the first and second embodiments can be used to enable a diet that suppresses and keeps the inflammation index low.

[0111] FIG. 17B also shows the correlation between the inflammation index and diabetic complications. As shown in FIG. 17B, for diabetic nephropathy, one of the diabetic complications, the 90% confidence interval of the odds ratio crosses 1.0, indicating a significant correlation between diabetic nephropathy and the inflammation index. To treat or prevent diabetic complications, the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B according to the first and second embodiments can be used to enable diets that keep the inflammation index low. Additionally, correlations between the inflammation index and cancer, arteriosclerosis, depression, and the like have been identified, and the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B according to the first and second embodiments can be used to treat or prevent these diseases.

[0112] (Correlation between FDii and greenhouse gas emissions) Figure 18 shows the correlation between FDii and greenhouse gas emissions. As shown in Figure 18, foods with high FDii also tend to have high greenhouse gas emissions during food production, while foods with low FDii tend to have low greenhouse gas emissions during production. As such, high FDii foods that threaten people's health also have a large environmental impact, suggesting that food selection based on FDii may lead to solutions to both "health" and "environmental" issues. The inflammation index change calculation system 1C can function as a tool to encourage people to change their behavior and choose low FDii foods, thereby ultimately leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions during food production.

[0113] (Summary) The dietary inflammation index evaluation method based on FFQ2, implemented by the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B, reduces the complexity and difficulty of evaluating the inflammation index and enables visualization of the anti-inflammatory effects of each food and each meal. Furthermore, the FDii and MDii calculated by the inflammation index change calculation systems 1C and 1D can be applied to foods provided by the service industry. Potentially, the target is the entire consumer population of over 100 million in Japan. The FDii and MDii can be applied worldwide, transcending regions and food cultures.

[0114] The inflammation index estimation systems 1A, 1B and inflammation index change calculation systems 1C, 1D according to the above-mentioned first, second, third, and fourth embodiments are developed as application software and can be used by individual users. Furthermore, the inflammation index estimation systems 1A, 1B and inflammation index change calculation systems 1C, 1D according to the present embodiments are expected to be used by food manufacturers, the food and beverage industry, etc. Furthermore, the inflammation index estimation systems 1A, 1B and inflammation index change calculation systems 1C, 1D according to the present embodiments are expected to be used in the development of therapeutic diets or supplements, and the development of predictive biomarkers.

[0115] The hardware and software configurations of the inflammation index estimation systems 1A and 1B and the inflammation index change amount calculation systems 1C and 1D are merely examples, and can be changed and modified as desired.

[0116] The core processing components of the inflammation index estimation systems 1A, 1B and the inflammation index change calculation systems 1C, 1D, which are comprised of a CPU 41, a main memory 42, an external memory 43, an operation unit 44, a display 45, an input / output unit 46, an internal bus 48, etc., can be realized using an ordinary computer system rather than a dedicated system. For example, a computer program for executing the above operations may be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM), and the inflammation index estimation systems 1A, 1B and the inflammation index change calculation systems 1C, 1D that execute the above processing may be configured by installing the computer program on a computer. Alternatively, the inflammation index estimation systems 1A, 1B and the inflammation index change calculation systems 1C, 1D may be configured by storing the computer program in a storage device of a server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and downloading the program into an ordinary computer system.

[0117] When the functions of the inflammation index estimation systems 1A, 1B and the inflammation index change calculation systems 1C, 1D are realized by sharing the functions between an OS (operating system) and an application program, or by collaboration between an OS and an application program, only the application program portion may be stored on a recording medium or storage device.

[0118] It is also possible to superimpose a computer program on a carrier wave and distribute it over a communication network. For example, the computer program may be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on the communication network and distributed over the network. The computer program may then be started and executed under the control of an OS in the same way as any other application program, thereby enabling the above-mentioned processing to be performed.

[0119] This invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain this invention and do not limit the scope of this invention. That is, the scope of this invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of this invention.

[0120] In addition, this application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-104895 filed on June 28, 2024, and the specification, claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-104895 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0121] The present invention can be applied to determine the inflammatory index contained in foods and diets.

[0122] 1A, 1B Inflammation index estimation system (information processing device), 1C, 1D Inflammation index change calculation system (information processing device), 2 Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), 3 Dietary record data (DR), 4 Designated data, 10 Calculation unit, 11 Food intake calculation unit, 12 Nutrient intake calculation unit, 13 Inflammation index calculation unit, 14 Food intake calculation unit, 16 Nutrient intake calculation unit, 17 Inflammation index change calculation unit, 20 Memory unit, 21 Food / nutrient conversion data, 22 Regression equation data, 23 Nutrient index data, 24 Average nutrient intake data of subject population, 25 Inflammation index data of standard individuals in subject population, 26 Diet / nutrient conversion data, 31 Food intake calculation unit for analysis, 32 Nutrient intake calculation unit for analysis, 33 Regression analysis unit, 40 Computer, 41 CPU, 42 Main memory, 43 External memory, 44 Operation unit, 45 Display, 46 Input / output unit, 48 internal bus, 49 program

Claims

1. An inflammation index estimation system comprising: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of multiple foods and menu items entered in a food intake frequency questionnaire; a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit, by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates the sum of the inflammation indexes calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, as the inflammation index for the daily diet.

2. A food intake calculation unit for analysis calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of multiple foods and menu items entered in a food frequency questionnaire, and calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on dietary record data for meals that were the subject of the food frequency questionnaire and that were recorded over multiple days separately from the food frequency questionnaire; a nutrient intake calculation unit for analysis calculates a first daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated from the food frequency questionnaire by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount, and calculates a second daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated from the dietary record data; and a regression analysis unit that performs regression analysis between the first intake and the second intake, and determines the slope and intercept of a regression equation for each nutrient with the first intake as an explanatory variable and the second intake as a target variable, wherein the nutrient intake calculation unit: The inflammation index estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the calculated daily intake of each nutrient is corrected based on a regression equation having a slope and an intercept determined by the regression analysis, and the inflammation index calculation unit calculates the inflammation index of each nutrient in the daily diet based on the corrected daily intake of each nutrient.

3. The inflammation index estimation system according to claim 2, wherein the analytical food intake calculation unit uses machine learning to identify the types of food and menu based on images of meals included in the dietary record data.

4. An inflammation index estimation system comprising: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake for each food and menu item based on recorded data of daily meals; a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake for each nutrient based on the daily intake for each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit, by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the food and menu items per unit amount; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates the sum of the inflammation indexes calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake for each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, as the inflammation index for the daily diet.

5. An inflammation index estimation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inflammation index calculation unit calculates a percentile value of the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit based on the average and standard deviation of the daily intake of each nutrient in a specified group to which the subject belongs, and calculates an inflammation index for each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated percentile value of the daily intake of each nutrient.

6. An inflammation index change calculation system comprising: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates the total daily intake of each nutrient when a predetermined amount of food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of a specific group, based on the content of multiple nutrients contained in the food and the average daily intake of each nutrient in the specific group; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates the sum of inflammation indices when a predetermined amount of food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific group, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the total daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, and calculates the change in inflammation index when a predetermined amount of food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific group by subtracting the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices.

7. The inflammation index change calculation system according to claim 6, wherein the nutrient intake calculation unit calculates the total daily intake for each nutrient by adding the average daily intake of that nutrient in the specific group to the content of that nutrient contained in a predetermined amount of food, or by adding the intake of that nutrient calculated by subtracting the average daily intake of that nutrient in the specific group by the ratio of the energy contained in a predetermined amount of food to the average daily energy intake of the specific group.

8. An inflammation index change calculation system comprising: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates a total daily intake for each nutrient by replacing a portion of the average intake of each nutrient taken in a daily meal in a specific group with the average intake of a plurality of nutrients taken in a specific meal menu; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates a sum of inflammation indices when the average intake of nutrients taken in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of nutrients taken in a daily meal in a specific group based on the inflammation index per unit intake for each nutrient and the total daily intake for each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, and subtracts the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate the change in inflammation index when a portion of the daily meal in the specific group is replaced with the specific meal menu.

9. The inflammation index change calculation system according to claim 8, wherein the nutrient intake calculation unit calculates the total daily intake for each nutrient by adding two-thirds of the average intake of that nutrient in a daily meal in the specific group to the average intake of that nutrient ingested in the specific meal menu, or by adding the intake obtained by subtracting the average intake of that nutrient for the amount of energy contained in the specific meal menu from the average intake of that nutrient in a daily meal in the specific group.

10. The inflammation index change calculation system according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the specific population is a population identified from the overall population in accordance with predetermined conditions.

11. An inflammation index estimation method executed by an information processing device, which calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of multiple foods and menu items entered in a food intake frequency questionnaire, calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the calculated daily intake of each food and menu item by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount, and calculates the inflammation index for the daily diet as the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated daily intake of each nutrient.

12. An inflammation index estimation method executed by an information processing device, which calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the daily meal record data, calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the calculated daily intake of each food and menu item by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the food and menu item per unit amount, and calculates the inflammation index for the daily meal as the sum of the inflammation indices calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated daily intake of each nutrient.

13. A method for calculating a change in an inflammation index executed by an information processing device, comprising: calculating a total daily intake of each nutrient when a specific amount of food is added to or substituted for the specific group's daily diet based on the content of multiple nutrients contained in a specific amount of food and the average daily intake of each nutrient in the specific group; calculating a sum of inflammation indices when a specific amount of food is added to or substituted for the specific group's daily diet based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated total daily intake of each of the multiple nutrients; and calculating a change in inflammation index when a specific amount of food is added to or substituted for the specific group's daily diet by subtracting the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices.

14. A method for calculating a change in an inflammation index executed by an information processing device, comprising: replacing a portion of the average intake of each nutrient ingested in a daily meal in a specific group with the average intake of multiple nutrients ingested in a specific meal menu, thereby calculating a total daily intake of each nutrient; calculating a sum of inflammation indices when the average intake of nutrients ingested in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of nutrients ingested in a daily meal in the specific group, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the calculated total daily intake of each nutrient; and subtracting the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate a change in the inflammation index when a portion of the daily meal in the specific group is replaced with the specified meal menu.

15. A program that causes a computer to function as: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake of each food and menu item based on the intake frequencies of multiple foods and menu items entered in a food intake frequency questionnaire; a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake of each nutrient based on the daily intake of each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit, by referring to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in the foods and menu items per unit amount; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates the inflammation index for a daily diet as the sum of the inflammation indexes calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit.

16. A program that causes a computer to function as: a food intake calculation unit that calculates the daily intake for each food and menu item based on the daily meal record data; a nutrient intake calculation unit that refers to data indicating the content of multiple nutrients contained in each unit amount of food and menu item and calculates the daily intake for each nutrient based on the daily intake for each food and menu item calculated by the food intake calculation unit; and an inflammation index calculation unit that calculates the inflammation index for a day's diet by summing up the inflammation index calculated according to the intake of each nutrient based on the inflammation index per unit intake for each nutrient and the daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit.

17. A program that causes a computer to function as: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates the total daily intake of each nutrient when a predetermined amount of food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of a specific group, based on the content of multiple nutrients contained in the food and the average daily intake of each nutrient in the specific group; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates the sum of inflammation indices when a predetermined amount of food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific group, based on the inflammation index per unit intake of each nutrient and the total daily intake of each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, and calculates the change in inflammation index when a predetermined amount of food is added to or substituted for the daily diet of the specific group by subtracting the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices.

18. A program that causes a computer to function as: a nutrient intake calculation unit that calculates a total daily intake for each nutrient by replacing a portion of the average intake of each nutrient taken in a daily meal with the average intake of multiple nutrients taken in a predetermined meal menu; and an inflammation index change calculation unit that calculates a sum of inflammation indices when the average intake of nutrients taken in the meal menu is replaced with a portion of the average intake of nutrients taken in a daily meal in a specific group based on the inflammation index per unit intake for each nutrient and the total daily intake for each nutrient calculated by the nutrient intake calculation unit, and subtracts the standard daily inflammation index for the specific group from the calculated sum of inflammation indices to calculate the change in inflammation index when a portion of the daily meal in the specific group is replaced with the predetermined meal menu.

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