Bathing method

Abstract

To provide a bathing method capable of maximizing bathing effects, such as promotion of blood flow through transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions, when bathing is carried out in hot water in which a bath agent is dissolved.SOLUTION: Provided is a bathing method in which bathing is carried out in hot water in which a bathing agent consisting of a compression-molded tablet. The compression-molded tablet comprises 1 / 10 to 1 / 3 organic acid, 1 / 100 to 1 / 5 polyethylene glycol, and 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 anhydride to bicarbonate. The pH of the aqueous solution immediately after dissolving the tablet is 5.5 to 8.5. The hardness of the tablet is 29 kg or more on the Vickers scale, and the diameter and thickness of the tablet are each 7 mm or more. In order to promote blood flow through transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water, the bath is taken for more than 10 minutes at a temperature of 29 to 43°C and a concentration of 0.1 to 10 mmol / L of bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathing method, and more particularly to a bathing method in which a person bathes in hot water having bicarbonate ions dissolved therein. [Background technology]

[0002] Compressed tablets made by tableting a mixture containing bicarbonate (sodium hydrogen carbonate or potassium hydrogen carbonate) and an organic acid are used in products such as bath additives and cleaning agents. When these products are added to hot water, the bicarbonate is neutralized by the organic acid to generate carbon dioxide gas, which has the advantage of dissolving quickly, and also has the effect of increasing the product value by giving consumers a comfortable feeling when used. In particular, they are actively used in bath additives because of the bathing effect of the generated carbon dioxide gas.

[0003] However, when bicarbonate and organic acid are combined and made into tablets, a vigorous neutralization reaction occurs during dissolution in hot water, generating large carbon dioxide bubbles that merge and grow larger, causing the carbon dioxide to rise rapidly into the air due to their buoyancy. As a result, less carbon dioxide dissolves in the water, and the bathing effect of carbon dioxide is not achieved.

[0004] It is said that a natural carbonated spring must have a carbon dioxide concentration of 1000ppm or more, but this is because the carbon dioxide is dissolved in high concentration under high pressure underground. If you try to achieve a carbon dioxide concentration of 1000ppm in an artificial carbonated spring, you would need to use a high-pressure gas cylinder to dissolve the carbon dioxide in a special device such as a membrane, which would make the device expensive, large-scale, and difficult to use.

[0005] Therefore, as a simple way to use carbonated springs at home, bath additives that dissolve while generating carbon dioxide gas when added to the bath became popular, and bath additives that use bicarbonate and organic acids to create bubbles of carbon dioxide gas through a neutralization reaction were mainstream. In this case, since a good carbonated spring is considered to have a large amount of carbon dioxide gas released and bubbles on the skin, the bath additives are designed to have a slightly acidic pH of about 4 to 5.5 when dissolved in water, and organic acids are added and mixed in an excess of acidity to cause a vigorous neutralization reaction, dissolving the foaming carbon dioxide gas into the water.

[0006] However, with these bath additives, even if it looks like a large amount of carbon dioxide is being released, it is not possible to increase the actual concentration of carbon dioxide in the water. In other words, if the bath additive is acidic, the carbon dioxide will volatilize out of the liquid as a gas, and even if you enjoy the fizzing the first time you take a bath and get some warming effect from the salt concentration, when another family member takes a bath after the fizzing, there is almost no carbon dioxide in the water, so you will not get the warming effect, and you will have to add new bath additives every time you take a bath.

[0007] In response to this problem, the inventors of the present application conducted a detailed study of the effects of natural carbonated springs, and found that the weak acidity of natural carbonated springs is merely due to the pH value, not due to any acidic components, but rather due to trace amounts of mineral ions dissolved by high pressure deep underground, resulting in a weak acidity with no potency (acidity that is not an excess of organic acids) caused by the dissociation of the slightest amount of negative ions, and that the weak acidity is such that carbon dioxide is neutralized and the bath becomes neutral simply by coming into contact with bodily fluids that have been adhering to the skin or hair.They then discovered that it is completely pointless for commercially available bath additives to only imitate the pH value of natural carbonated springs by adding an excess of organic acids, making the bath weakly acidic and making it easier for the carbon dioxide to effervescent.

[0008] Generally, explanations of the effects of carbonated springs state that carbon dioxide gas is absorbed directly through the skin, but this is completely incorrect. Most body fluids, such as blood and the skin's surface, are neutral, with a pH of about 7.2 to 7.4. If body fluids are neutral, the carbon dioxide component would only exist chemically as bicarbonate ions, and the component absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream should be bicarbonate ions.

[0009] In other words, in blood vessels, it should be dissolved as bicarbonate ions, judging from the pH, not carbon dioxide gas. This is because, according to a correct scientific understanding, carbonate ions exist in different forms: carbonic acid in weakly acidic conditions, bicarbonate ions (HCO3 minus 1 ions) in neutral conditions, and carbonate ions (CO3 minus 2 ions) in alkaline conditions. In neutral body fluids, carbonate ions always dissolve as bicarbonate ions.

[0010] Therefore, the conventional common sense of bath additives, which is that all that is needed is to make carbon dioxide gas effervescent, does not provide health benefits, and in many cases, based on the mistaken understanding that carbon dioxide gas is absorbed through the skin, people have combined bicarbonate with excess organic acid to pursue effervescence through a neutralization reaction, resulting in ineffective bath additives. On the other hand, even if tablets or bath additives are designed with less organic acid and in a neutral or weakly alkaline state, a sufficient neutralization reaction does not occur, and the bath additive only effervesces weakly, resulting in a bath additive that has the effect of a detergent that is simply bicarbonate dissolved in hot water.

[0011] Therefore, the inventors of this application thought that it would be necessary to design a bath additive that, when the bath additive is added, creates an environment in which a vigorous neutralization reaction occurs inside the tablet, generating fine micro-sized carbon dioxide gas, but after the effervescent reaction is complete, the water becomes neutral or slightly alkaline, which is theoretically extremely difficult. In other words, they discovered that the ideal bath additive would be one that makes the reaction site acidic or slightly acidic so that a large amount of carbon dioxide gas is generated in the water, creating an environment in which a large amount of carbon dioxide gas is generated in the water, and that after the bath additive has dissolved, the pH of the water becomes neutral so that the generated carbon dioxide gas is neutralized by body fluids when it comes into contact with the skin or body fluids and is absorbed transdermally as bicarbonate ions.

[0012] In this case, the more vigorous the neutralization reaction when the bath additive is added, the better, but if the foaming occurs too suddenly, the diameter of the bubbles will increase, and the bubbles will merge and become even larger, increasing their buoyancy and escaping into the air, so it is desirable to maintain the generation of bubbles so that they are released slowly over a long period of time without merging, and to generate a large amount of small bubbles stably.To address this problem, there is a method of using a large amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or the like to prevent sudden contact between the reactants and to control the reaction by allowing them to come into contact slowly and intermittently.

[0013] For example, the following Patent Document 1 proposes a method of blending 30-70% by mass of polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of 950-3,700 with 70-30% by mass of other effervescent components, then heating to melt the PEG and embed the effervescent components in the PEG. However, in this method, the components dissolve independently without a neutralization reaction, resulting in a small amount of carbon dioxide, and ultimately requiring the addition of a large amount of tablets to achieve the desired dissolution of carbon dioxide, which increases costs.

[0014] From the viewpoint of productivity, the use of large amounts of polyethylene glycol, etc., particularly in tablet products that are compressed, makes it impossible to obtain the mechanical strength of the tablets. In addition, the adhesion of powder to the mortar and punches of the tablet press becomes an issue, and large amounts of binding agents (binders) and release agents are used, and these ingredients are also factors that lead to a decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide gas generated. Moreover, the fine powder of metal soap that is commonly used as a release agent is insoluble in water, and there is even concern that it may cause discomfort when used.

[0015] Therefore, the inventors of the present application have proposed a method and a tablet manufacturing method in which an organic acid is used as a compound that neutralizes with bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate) as a carbon dioxide gas generating source, and in addition, in the presence of polyethylene glycol, a tablet having a high hardness and a certain size is produced by compression molding (Patent Document 2). Inside the tablet manufactured by this method, a neutralization reaction occurs vigorously and efficiently, and by continuously releasing carbon dioxide gas bubbles of the smallest possible size for a certain period of time, most of the generated carbon dioxide gas can be dissolved in water without escaping into the air. In addition, by designing the pH to be neutral immediately after dissolution, the bicarbonate ions in the water can be concentrated, and the carbon dioxide gas that comes into contact with the skin easily becomes bicarbonate ions due to the pH of the aqueous solution, and becomes highly concentrated when combined with the bicarbonate ions that are originally present, allowing the absorption of bicarbonate ions from the skin into the blood vessels to be maximized. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0016] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 58-105910 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5877778 [Non-patent literature]

[0017] [Non-Patent Document 1] Nobuhiro Maruyama and Shigeji Koboshi, "No. 29 Development of bicarbonate ion-citric acid bath additives and measures to prevent illness", Journal of the Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology, and Physical Medicine, Vol. 78, No. 1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0018] By using the tablets of Patent Document 2 invented by the present inventors as a bath additive, carbon dioxide gas generated by the neutralization reaction between bicarbonate and organic acid can be efficiently dissolved in the bath water, increasing the concentration of bicarbonate ions absorbed percutaneously, promoting blood flow through the percutaneous absorption of bicarbonate ions, and increasing the effects of bathing, such as raising body temperature.

[0019] However, even if the tablet of Patent Document 2 is used as a bath additive, the bathing effects, such as promoting blood flow, cannot be maximized unless the bathing conditions related to the transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions (e.g., the time spent bathing in the water in which the bath additive has been dissolved, the temperature of the water in which the bath additive is dissolved, the concentration of bicarbonate ions, etc.) are optimized.

[0020] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its main object is to provide a bathing method which maximizes the bathing effects, such as promoting blood flow through transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions, by using the tablet invented by the present inventors as a bath additive and bathing in warm water in which the bath additive has been dissolved. [Means for solving the problem]

[0021] One aspect of the present invention is a method of bathing in hot water containing dissolved bath additives consisting of compressed tablets, the compressed tablets containing 1 / 10 to 1 / 3 organic acid, 1 / 100 to 1 / 5 polyethylene glycol, and 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 anhydride (anhydrous sodium carbonate or anhydrous potassium carbonate) relative to the bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate), the pH of the aqueous solution immediately after dissolving the tablets is 5.5 to 8.5, the tablet hardness is a Vickers hardness of 29 kg or more, and the diameter and thickness directions of the tablet are both 7 mm or more, and the bathing is performed for 10 minutes or more in a state in which the temperature of the hot water is 29 to 43°C and the concentration of the bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water is 0.1 to 10 mmol / L in order to promote blood flow by transdermal absorption of the bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the bathing method of the present invention, it is possible to maximize the benefits of bathing, such as promoting blood flow through transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions.

[0023] The reason is that when taking a bath in hot water in which a bath additive consisting of a compressed tablet has been dissolved, the compressed tablet contains 1 / 10 to 1 / 3 of an organic acid, 1 / 100 to 1 / 5 of polyethylene glycol, and 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 of an anhydride (anhydrous sodium carbonate or anhydrous potassium carbonate) relative to the bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate), the pH of the aqueous solution immediately after the tablet is dissolved is 5.5 to 8.5, the tablet has a Vickers hardness of 29 kg or more, and the diameter and thickness directions of the tablet are both 7 mm or more, and in order to promote blood flow by transdermal absorption of the bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water, the bath is taken for 10 minutes or more when the temperature of the hot water is 29 to 43°C and the concentration of bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water is 0.1 to 10 mmol / L, preferably 20 minutes or more when the temperature of the hot water is 32 to 40°C and the concentration of bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water is 0.2 to 5 mmol / L.

[0024] When the water temperature is 39°C and the concentration of bicarbonate ions dissolved in the water is 2mmol / L, and the bather bathes for 10 minutes or more, the bather's blood flow becomes approximately four times higher than before bathing, and when the water temperature is 39°C and the concentration of bicarbonate ions dissolved in the water is 2mmol / L, and the bather bathes for 20 minutes or more, the bather's blood flow becomes approximately five times higher than before bathing.

[0025] In addition, when bathing for 10 minutes or more in water with a temperature of 39°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2 mmol / L, the bather's body temperature will be approximately 0.2°C higher than if the bather bathed in water that does not contain bicarbonate ions, and after bathing for 20 minutes in water with a temperature of 39°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2 mmol / L, the bather's body temperature 60 to 120 minutes later will be approximately 0.1°C higher than if the bather bathed in water that does not contain bicarbonate ions.

[0026] In addition, after four weeks of bathing for 10 minutes or more in water with a temperature of 39°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2 mmol / L, the scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were significantly lower than those before bathing in those conditions, with a p-value of less than 0.001 obtained by statistical analysis using a t-test. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing time and blood flow rate in one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing temperature and blood flow rate in one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the correlation between bicarbonate ion concentration and blood flow rate according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing time and body temperature in one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the correlation between the temperature over time after bathing and body temperature in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the mechanism by which blood flow increases due to transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions. [Figure 7] Items and assessment criteria of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Generally, carbon dioxide dissolved in water exists as dissolved inorganic carbon, but this dissolved inorganic carbon exists in three forms due to bicarbonate equilibrium, and it is said that the form changes depending on the pH of the solution. It is known that the abundance ratio of the three types of dissolved inorganic carbon depending on the pH is such that in the region where the pH of the solution is weakly acidic or lower, the proportion of bicarbonate ions is low and the proportion of carbonic acid is high, in the neutral to weakly alkaline region, the proportion of bicarbonate ions is highest, and in the alkaline region, the bicarbonate ions are low and the carbonate ions are high.

[0029] In addition, carbon dioxide is said to migrate from the skin surface to the capillaries via an accessory organ pathway that passes through the pores and sweat glands of the skin. Since the pH range of blood coincides with the pH range in which bicarbonate ions are present at their highest concentration, the inventors of the present application focused on the possibility that much of the carbon dioxide that migrates from the skin into the blood may exert physiological activity as bicarbonate ions and have beneficial effects on the living body, and investigated the effects of bicarbonate ions on the living body (see non-patent document 1).

[0030] As a result, in vivo tests showed that the blood flow of mice was significantly increased compared to the control group, and the amount of bicarbonate ions in the blood and the amount of nitric oxide (NO) produced through phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in peripheral blood tended to increase.Furthermore, in in vitro tests using human umbilical artery endothelial cells, the presence of neutral bicarbonate ion water promoted the phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and increased NO production, and the reactive oxygen species scavenging activity of neutral bicarbonate ion water was significantly higher than that of the control.In addition, in a double-blind randomized controlled study conducted on middle-aged men and women with subjective symptoms of chills, the effect of neutral bicarbonate ion water bathing in raising body temperature and improving chills symptoms and sleep quality was observed.

[0031] These findings demonstrate that bicarbonate ions, when absorbed percutaneously, phosphorylate endothelial nitric oxide synthase through their direct action on the vascular endothelium, thereby promoting blood flow by increasing NO production, suggesting their usefulness in improving various clinical symptoms in the cardiovascular field associated with poor circulation.

[0032] In order to efficiently absorb bicarbonate ions through the skin, it is important that the pH of the aqueous solution after the tablet is dissolved be neutral and that the bicarbonate ions in the water be highly concentrated, so the inventors of the present application have invented a tablet manufacturing method and tablet in which an organic acid is used as a compound that undergoes a neutralizing reaction with bicarbonate salts (sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate) and the tablet is compressed in the presence of polyethylene glycol to produce tablets of a certain degree of hardness and a certain size (Patent Document 2). Inside the tablet manufactured by this method, a vigorous and efficient neutralization reaction occurs, and by continuously releasing the smallest possible carbon dioxide bubbles for a certain period of time, most of the generated carbon dioxide can be dissolved in water without escaping into the air, and by designing the pH to be neutral immediately after dissolution, the bicarbonate ions in the water can be highly concentrated.

[0033] By using the above tablets as a bath additive, carbon dioxide gas generated by the neutralization reaction between bicarbonate and organic acid can be efficiently dissolved in the bath water, increasing the concentration of bicarbonate ions absorbed percutaneously, and enhancing the effects of bathing, such as promoting blood flow through the percutaneous absorption of bicarbonate ions and raising body temperature. However, in order to maximize the effects of bathing, it is necessary to optimize the bathing conditions.

[0034] In other words, if the time spent bathing in water with dissolved bath additives is too short, the bicarbonate ions in the water cannot be absorbed through the skin sufficiently, and blood flow cannot be promoted by increasing NO production. Therefore, in order to maximize the effects of bathing, it is necessary to optimize the time spent bathing in water with dissolved bath additives.

[0035] In addition, bicarbonate ions are absorbed through the skin and generate NO in blood vessels, which expands the blood vessels and increases blood flow. However, as described below, this series of reactions involves enzymes, and the activity of the enzymes weakens at low temperatures. Therefore, if the temperature of the water in which the bath additives are dissolved is too low, the blood vessels do not expand sufficiently and blood flow cannot be promoted. On the other hand, if the temperature of the water in which the bath additives are dissolved is too high, the neutralization reaction occurs violently, making it difficult to continuously generate carbon dioxide bubbles for a certain period of time, making it difficult to maintain the desired concentration of bicarbonate ions in the water, and causing health problems such as a sudden rise in blood pressure due to stimulation of the sympathetic nerves. Therefore, in order to maximize the effects of bathing, it is necessary to optimize the temperature of the water in which the bath additives are dissolved.

[0036] Also, if the bicarbonate ion concentration is too low, the bicarbonate ions in the bath water cannot be absorbed through the skin sufficiently, and blood flow cannot be promoted by increasing NO production. On the other hand, if the bicarbonate ion concentration is too high, the neutralization reaction between bicarbonate and organic acids will increase the amount of carbon dioxide gas produced, increasing the carbon dioxide concentration in the bathroom, or the bicarbonate will remain in the bath water and adhere to the bathtub, resulting in wasteful consumption of bath additives. Therefore, in order to maximize the effects of bathing, it is necessary to optimize the bicarbonate ion concentration in the bath water.

[0037] The inventors of the present application therefore investigated the correlation between the time spent bathing in water containing dissolved bath additives and blood flow, the correlation between the temperature of the water in which the bath additives are dissolved and blood flow, the correlation between the bicarbonate ion concentration in the water and blood flow, the correlation between the time spent bathing in water containing dissolved bath additives and body temperature, and the correlation between the time elapsed after bathing and body temperature.

[0038] As a result, when bathing in water with dissolved bicarbonate ions, blood flow increased significantly with increasing bathing time compared to bathing in regular water, and compared to before bathing, blood flow was about five times higher after 10 minutes of bathing (about twice as high in regular water), and about six times higher after 20 minutes of bathing (about twice as high in regular water).

[0039] In addition, when bathing in water with dissolved bicarbonate ions, blood flow increased as the bath temperature increased compared to bathing in normal water. Compared to before bathing, blood flow was approximately 3.1 times higher at a bathing temperature of 29°C (approximately 1.3 times higher in normal water), approximately 5 times higher at a bathing temperature of 32°C (approximately 1.4 times higher in normal water), approximately 6.1 times higher at a bathing temperature of 40°C (approximately 2.2 times higher in normal water), and approximately 6.2 times higher at a bathing temperature of 43°C (approximately 2.4 times higher in normal water).

[0040] In addition, blood flow increased rapidly with increasing bicarbonate ion concentration, and compared to before bathing, blood flow was approximately 4.8 times higher at a bicarbonate ion concentration of 0.1 mmol / L, approximately 5.3 times higher at a bicarbonate ion concentration of 0.2 mmol / L, approximately 6.2 times higher at a bicarbonate ion concentration of 5 mmol / L, and approximately 6.4 times higher at a bicarbonate ion concentration of 10 mmol / L.

[0041] In addition, when bathing in water with dissolved bicarbonate ions, body temperature rose significantly with increasing bathing time compared to bathing in regular water; with bathing times of 10 minutes or more, the difference in body temperature compared to regular bathing was approximately 0.2°C or more, and with bathing times of 20 minutes, the difference in body temperature compared to regular bathing was approximately 0.4°C.

[0042] In addition, when bathing in water with dissolved bicarbonate ions, the drop in body temperature after bathing was suppressed compared to bathing in regular water, and the difference in body temperature 60 to 120 minutes after bathing compared to bathing in regular water was approximately 0.1°C or more.

[0043] From these results, it was found that the important bathing conditions for maximizing the effects of bathing, such as promoting blood flow through transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions, are to bathe for 10 minutes or more in water with a temperature of 29-43°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 0.1-10 mmol / L, and preferably to bathe for 20 minutes in water with a temperature of 32-40°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 0.2-5 mmol / L. EXAMPLES

[0044] In order to explain the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention in more detail, a bathing method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing time and blood flow in this embodiment, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing temperature and blood flow in this embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the correlation between bicarbonate ion concentration and blood flow in this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing time and body temperature in this embodiment, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the correlation between temperature after bathing and body temperature in this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram explaining the mechanism of increase in blood flow due to transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions.

[0045] First, a method for producing the bath additive (the tablet invented by the present inventors and disclosed in Patent Document 2) used in the bathing method of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0046] The bath additive of this embodiment is a compressed tablet containing 1 / 10 to 1 / 3 of an organic acid, 1 / 100 to 1 / 5 of polyethylene glycol, and 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 of an anhydride (anhydrous sodium carbonate or anhydrous potassium carbonate) relative to the bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate), and the pH of the hot water immediately after dissolving the compressed tablet is 5.5 to 8.5, the tablet has a Vickers hardness of 29 kg or more, and the diameter and thickness of the tablet are both 7 mm or more.

[0047] For example, even if bicarbonate and an organic acid (citric acid) are mixed in the above ratio, if the powder is added to a bath, it will dissolve within a few seconds and only a small amount of carbon dioxide gas will be generated. In other words, rather than the generation of carbon dioxide gas from the neutralization reaction, the process in which each component dissolves and becomes diluted will take priority instantly, and almost no carbon dioxide gas will dissolve in the liquid, resulting in a dilute neutral liquid in which the bicarbonate and organic acid are simply dissolved.

[0048] Therefore, in the bath additive of this embodiment, a certain ratio of bicarbonate and organic acid are combined, and the tablets are compressed to a certain hardness with a diameter and thickness of 7 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more. When dissolved in hot water, the neutralization reaction continues efficiently, the size of the bubbles is made fine and uniform, and carbon dioxide gas can be efficiently dissolved in the hot water. In addition, the tablets do not crumble until the solid components are completely removed by the reaction, and continue to react while sinking to the bottom of the bathtub, so that the generated carbon dioxide gas can be efficiently dissolved in the liquid.

[0049] Examples of organic acids that can be used include citric acid, succinic acid, and malic acid. By using an organic acid that contains at least citric acid, the neutralization reaction in the tablet can be sustained more effectively and fine bubbles can be generated.

[0050] In addition, when bicarbonate is granulated in a fluidized bed to obtain a granulated product, the reaction in the tablet can be efficiently enhanced by using a mechanical fluidized bed granulator that does not substantially use air for stirring. In a fluidized bed with a mechanical stirring method, air is not used for stirring, and the powder is fluidized using mechanical blades such as a propeller, so there is no absorption of moisture brought in from humid air during granulation.

[0051] Mechanical fluidized bed granulators that do not essentially use air for agitation are mixers that have a plough-like shovel inside a horizontal drum to create centrifugal diffusion and vortex flow effects, resulting in three-dimensional fluidization. For example, they are sold on the market by Deutsche Loedige AG or Matsuzaka Giken Co., Ltd.

[0052] It is more preferable that the granulator is equipped with a vacuum pump for reducing the pressure. By applying a vacuum with a vacuum pump during granulation, the amount of polyethylene glycol can be reduced and granulation can be performed, so that the diameter of the foamed bubbles can be made extremely small while making the neutralization reaction more active. Furthermore, it is preferable that the granulator is equipped with a chopper to prevent the granulated granules from becoming coarse particles when cooled. That is, by operating the chopper during cooling to regulate the size, the effect of making the diameter of the carbon dioxide gas bubbles smaller than micron size is exhibited, which is a more preferable granulation method.

[0053] In the bath additive of this embodiment, sodium bicarbonate and polyethylene glycol are granulated using a fluidized bed granulator that employs a mechanical stirring method, and a certain ratio of organic acid, anhydrous sodium carbonate, and polyethylene glycol are added to the granulated material. After mixing, the mixture is compressed under high pressure to obtain tablets of a certain hardness and size.

[0054] Of course, a mixture mainly consisting of an organic acid may also be granulated using polyethylene glycol, and the bicarbonate may be mixed with polyethylene glycol without granulation, and then mixed with the organic acid granules and compressed to obtain tablets, which is preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturing process since the amount of compound to be granulated is relatively small. In any case, from the viewpoint of cost, it is preferable to granulate either the bicarbonate or the organic acid, and to manufacture the tablet by simply mixing the other. In addition, in order to maintain the neutralization reaction in the tablet for a long time and increase the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved, it is preferable to use both the bicarbonate and the organic acid salt by mixing or coating them with polyethylene glycol.

[0055] The polyethylene glycol used in the bath additive manufacturing method of this embodiment preferably has an average molecular weight of 4000 to 8000. From the viewpoints of molding stability when using a compression molding tablet press such as a rotary tablet press, punch adhesion resistance, capping, and improved tablet molding speed, polyethylene glycol with an average molecular weight of about 6000 is preferred.

[0056] The ratio of polyethylene glycol to 100 parts by mass of granulated product A or mixture A of bicarbonate (sodium hydrogen carbonate or potassium hydrogen carbonate) is preferably 1 / 100 to 1 / 5, and particularly preferably 1 / 100 to 1 / 10. If the ratio of polyethylene glycol is less than the above amount, the diameter of the carbon dioxide bubbles will be large and the foaming time will be short, and it may not be possible to increase the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in hot water, while if the amount of polyethylene glycol is more than the above amount, the amount of bubbles generated will be suppressed, and similarly the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved may also be reduced.

[0057] In addition, when the organic acid is not granulated, and polyethylene glycol is added to the granulated material A and the organic acid, and the mixture is compressed and molded, micro-sized bubbles can be foamed for a long time, and the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in hot water can be increased. In this case, the process can be largely omitted, and it is a desirable manufacturing method in terms of cost effectiveness as well.

[0058] On the other hand, when the organic acid is granulated with polyethylene glycol and the bicarbonate and polyethylene glycol are simply mixed at a constant temperature and compressed for molding, micro-sized bubbles can be foamed for a long time, maximizing the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in hot water. In this case, the process can be largely omitted, making it a desirable manufacturing method in terms of cost effectiveness as well.

[0059] In the method for producing the bath additive of this embodiment, the ratio of polyethylene glycol to organic acid is preferably 5 to 15 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of organic acid.

[0060] The amount of organic acid, organic acid mixture B or organic acid granules B added relative to the amount of bicarbonate granules A or polyethylene glycol mixture A is preferably 1 / 10 to 1 / 3.

[0061] The effects of the present invention can be obtained by adding an organic acid anhydride without granulating the compound, but it is more preferable to add the organic acid together with polyethylene glycol, or to prepare polyethylene glycol granules B, which are mixed with granules A and then compressed and molded, thereby preparing a tablet having a preferable neutralization reaction.

[0062] Furthermore, in the bath additive of this embodiment, it is preferable to add an anhydride in any step before compression molding, such as the step of preparing the granulated material A or mixture A, or the step of mixing the granulated material A with the organic acid or granulated material B. If the amount of anhydride is too large, the amount of foaming will be reduced, while if it is too small, carbon dioxide gas will be generated intensively in the bath, which is not preferable.

[0063] The above-mentioned anhydride is one or more anhydrides selected from anhydrous sodium carbonate and anhydrous potassium carbonate, and the effects of the bath agent of this embodiment can be preferably exhibited by using the anhydride in an amount of 1 / 100 to 1 / 5, particularly 1 / 100 to 1 / 10, of the amount of bicarbonate. In particular, anhydrous sodium carbonate is an example of an anhydride that maximizes the effects of the bath agent of this embodiment.

[0064] In addition, the bath additive of this embodiment can use a release agent for tablet molding. Generally, sucrose or magnesium stearate is used as the release agent, but it is particularly preferable to include one selected from sodium n-(normal)octanesulfonate, sodium laurylsulfonate, sodium lauroylsarcosinate, sodium myristoylmethylalanine, etc., since the tablet can be compressed and molded stably and quickly. In addition, when the tablet is dissolved in hot water, these release agents are most preferably used to cause micro-sized bubbles and maintain the transparency of the hot water after dissolution. The amount of the release agent added may be within the range of known and used, and there is no particular restriction.

[0065] In addition to the main component, other components (additives) can be mixed into the bath additive of this embodiment as necessary. Other additives include health components such as hyaluronic acid, fragrances, colorings, surfactants, and anhydrides such as sodium carbonate as necessary. In addition, desirable additives for organic acid or organic acid mixture B and granulated material B include anhydrides such as sodium carbonate, fragrances, colorings, surfactants, and polyethylene glycol.

[0066] In addition, for the compression molding to prepare tablets, a known compression molding machine can be used without any particular restrictions, and for example, a hydraulic press, a single shot tablet press, a rotary tablet press, a briquetting machine, etc. can be used. The size of the punch used in this tablet press, etc., is preferably 7 mm or more in diameter when the punch is circular, and preferably 7 mm or more in diameter when the punch is triangular or rectangular, when converted into a circular punch. The same applies to the thickness of the punch. In addition, when obtaining a circular tablet product, the diameter of the tablet is preferably 7 mm or more, more preferably 10 mm or more, and the thickness is also 7 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more, and when obtaining a triangular or rectangular tablet, it is preferable that the diameter and thickness are each 7 mm or more when converted into a circular tablet.

[0067] In addition, the tablet does not necessarily have to be a circle having a flat surface, and there is no restriction on the shape, even if it is an oval, tablet, or spherical, as long as it is a solid object of 7 mm or more. In addition, the tablet hardness is preferably 29 kg or more, and the higher the hardness, the more effectively carbon dioxide gas is generated in the tablet, the more efficiently the carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in the bath, and the finer the bubbles become, resulting in favorable results.

[0068] The tablet hardness can be measured using a Mitutoyo HM-221 micro Vickers hardness tester, which is one of the hardness testers used in the examples of many patent specifications. The Vickers hardness of the bath agent in this example is measured four times and is expressed in HV, kg / mm 2 It has been confirmed that a fairly accurate measurement can be made by taking the average of the measurements about four times.

[0069] In the bath additive of this embodiment, the diameter of the carbon dioxide bubbles generated in the liquid is 5 mm or less when measured by visual inspection, and the bubbles are generated uniformly without merging, and it is preferable that the tablet remain sunk to the bottom and react until the neutralization reaction is complete and the tablet is completely dissolved, so that the carbon dioxide can be efficiently dissolved in the liquid.It has been confirmed that the tablet satisfies the above requirements if the average surface Vickers hardness is 15 kg or more, preferably 18 kg or more (most preferably 25 kg or more, and particularly 29 kg or more).

[0070] Next, a bathing method using the tablets produced by the above method as a bath additive will be described. As described above, by using the bath additive of this embodiment, the generated carbon dioxide gas can be efficiently dissolved in hot water, and the concentration of bicarbonate ions absorbed percutaneously can be increased. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of human blood vessels, with the dermis / subcutaneous adipose tissue 2 inside the epidermis 1, and blood vessels 5 inside the dermis / subcutaneous adipose tissue 2. Blood vessels 5 are made up of vascular walls 6 having smooth muscles 7 and the vascular endothelium on the inside. cell 8 and consists of vascular endothelium cell The inside of 8 is blood vessel 9. When taking a bath in hot water with dissolved bicarbonate ions, the bicarbonate ions penetrate into blood vessel 9 through sweat pores 4 and the like, and penetrate into the vascular endothelium, as shown in FIG. cell It phosphorylates endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) present in vascular endothelial 8 (P-eNOS), which then acts on L-arginine (L-Al) to generate nitric oxide (NO). The generated NO is converted to cyclic guainosine monophosphate (cGMP) by guanylate cyclase enzyme (sGC) via guanosine triphosphate (GTP). Then, cyclic guainosine monophosphate (cGMP) relaxes smooth muscle 7 in the vascular wall 6, which results in the expansion of blood vessels 5 and an increase in blood flow.

[0071] Therefore, by increasing the concentration of bicarbonate ions in the water, the effects of bathing can be enhanced, such as promoting blood flow and raising body temperature through transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions; however, in order to maximize this effect, it is necessary to optimize the bathing conditions related to the transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions (such as the time spent bathing in water with dissolved bath additives, the temperature of the water in which the bath additives are dissolved, and the concentration of bicarbonate ions in the water).

[0072] Therefore, we investigated bathing conditions to maximize the bathing effect. As mentioned above, when bicarbonate ions are absorbed through the skin, nitric oxide (NO) is generated in blood vessels, which expand the blood vessels and accelerate the blood flow. Therefore, we investigated the optimal bathing time, bathing temperature, and bicarbonate ion concentration by measuring the blood flow rate of the subjects while bathing. This blood flow rate was measured using a non-contact laser Doppler blood flow meter (ALF21N manufactured by Advance Co., Ltd.) by converting the reflected light from the tissue when a laser beam was irradiated onto the biological tissue into an electrical signal and processing it. The measurement was performed at the dorsal side of the hand, which corresponds to the so-called "Hegu" point, and the measurement was performed by attaching a measurement glove to the skin. The unit of blood flow is mL / min / 100g-tissue, but here it is expressed as a multiple of the value before bathing, and the average value of the data obtained by the subjects for 5 days was used.

[0073] First, 210 L of hot water was poured into the bathtub and the bathing temperature was adjusted to 39°C, and the bath additive of this example was added to adjust the bicarbonate ion concentration to 2 mmol / L. The time change in blood flow rate was measured when 10 subjects (healthy women aged 20 to 60 years) bathed in the bath. For comparison, the time change in blood flow rate was also measured when 10 subjects bathed in normal hot water at 39°C. The results are shown in Table 1 and Figure 1.

[0074] [Table 1]

[0075] Fig. 1 shows the correlation between bathing time and blood flow. As shown by the dashed line in Fig. 1, when bathing in normal hot water, body temperature rises and blood flow temporarily increases by about two times due to the action of the autonomic nerves, but the increase in blood flow stops after about 10 minutes, and thereafter, even if the bathing time is extended, blood flow hardly changes. On the other hand, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 1, when bathing in hot water in which the bath additive of this embodiment is added and the bicarbonate ion concentration is adjusted to 2 mmol / L, bicarbonate ions are absorbed transdermally over time, generating nitric oxide in blood vessels, and cyclic guainosine phosphate generated from nitric oxide relaxes smooth muscles and expands blood vessels. As a result, after 10 minutes, the blood flow rate increased to about five times that before bathing (considering that the blood flow rate increases about twice when bathing in normal hot water, the increase in blood flow rate due to the transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions is effectively about four times), and after 20 minutes, the blood flow rate increased to about six times that before bathing (similarly, considering that the blood flow rate increases about twice when bathing in normal hot water, the increase in blood flow rate due to the transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions is effectively about five times), and the blood flow continued to gradually increase as the bathing time increased. From the results in Figure 1, the blood flow rate was clearly higher when bathing in hot water with dissolved bicarbonate ions compared to when bathing in normal hot water, and considering the significant difference in blood flow rate compared to when bathing in normal hot water, it can be said that the optimal bathing conditions are a bathing time of 10 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or more, and when bathing for 10 minutes or more, the blood flow rate was about four times or more than that before bathing, and when bathing for 20 minutes or more, the blood flow rate was about five times or more than before bathing. To I found out that it would be.

[0076] Next, 210 L of hot water was poured into the bathtub to change the bathing temperature, and the bath additive of this example was added to adjust the bicarbonate ion concentration to 2 mmol / L. The blood flow rate was measured when 10 subjects (healthy women aged 20 to 60 years) bathed for 20 minutes. For comparison, the blood flow rate was also measured when 10 subjects bathed for 20 minutes in normal hot water with the temperature changed. The results are shown in Table 2 and Figure 2.

[0077] [Table 2]

[0078] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing temperature and blood flow rate. As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2, when bathing in normal hot water, body temperature rises with an increase in bathing temperature, and blood flow rate gradually increases due to the action of the autonomic nerves, but the increase in blood flow rate was about 2.4 times or less. On the other hand, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, when bathing in hot water in which the bath agent of this embodiment is added and the bicarbonate ion concentration is adjusted to 2 mmol / L, the activity of enzymes (endothelial nitric oxide synthase, guanylate cyclase enzyme, etc.) increases with an increase in bathing temperature, the production of nitric oxide and cyclic guainosine phosphate increases, the relaxation effect of smooth muscles is strengthened, and blood vessels greatly expand. As a result, at 29°C, the blood flow rate is about 3.1 times that before bathing, at 32°C, the blood flow rate is about 5 times that before bathing, and at 40°C, the blood flow rate is about 6.1 times that before bathing, and thereafter, although the change in blood flow rate becomes more gradual, at 43°C, the blood flow rate is about 6.2 times that before bathing. The results in Figure 2 show that when bathing in water with dissolved bicarbonate ions, blood flow is clearly increased compared to bathing in regular water. Considering the significant difference in blood flow compared to bathing in regular water, it can be said that the optimal bathing conditions are a bathing temperature of 29°C to 43°C, preferably 32°C to 40°C.

[0079] Next, 210 L of hot water was poured into the bathtub to adjust the bath temperature to 39°C, and the bath additive of this example was added to change the bicarbonate ion concentration. The blood flow rate was measured when 10 subjects (healthy women aged 20 to 60 years) bathed for 20 minutes. The results are shown in Table 3 and Figure 3. The reason why the blood flow rate at a bicarbonate ion concentration of 0 mmol / L is twice that before bathing is because, as shown in Table 1, the increase in blood flow rate when bathing for 20 minutes in normal hot water at 39°C is twice that before bathing. In addition, in Figure 3, the bicarbonate ion concentration range is changed on the left and right sides of the graph to make it easier to understand the change in blood flow rate under conditions of low bicarbonate ion concentration (1 mmol / L or less).

[0080] [Table 3]

[0081] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the correlation between bicarbonate ion concentration and blood flow rate. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, when bathing in hot water in which the bath additive of this embodiment is added and the bicarbonate ion concentration is changed, sufficient nitric oxide is generated even with a small amount of bicarbonate ion absorbed percutaneously, and cyclic guainosine phosphate generated from nitric oxide relaxes smooth muscles and expands blood vessels. As a result, the blood flow rate increases rapidly to about 4.8 times before bathing at 0.1 mmol / L and about 5.3 times before bathing at 0.2 mmol / L, and then increases gradually to about 6.2 times before bathing at 5 mmol / L and about 6.4 times before bathing at 10 mmol / L. From the results in FIG. 3, it can be said that the optimal bathing conditions for bicarbonate ion concentration are 0.1 mmol / L to 10 mmol / L, where blood flow rate increases significantly, and preferably 0.2 mmol / L to 5 mmol / L.

[0082] Since it is believed that body temperature rises when blood flow increases due to the percutaneous absorption of bicarbonate ions, the correlation between bathing time and body temperature was investigated. To measure body temperature, ordinary thermometers such as electronic thermometers and non-contact thermometers, or deep body thermometers (CORE manufactured by GreenTEG) can be used. In this measurement, a deep body thermometer was used to measure heat flux (amount of heat energy flowing through a unit area per unit time) with a highly sensitive sensor, and the temperature inside the body (deep body temperature) was calculated from the temperature on the skin surface by processing it with an algorithm. The measurement was performed on the wrist, using a 3cm x 3cm patch-type sensor fixed to the wrist with a band. Note that here, the change from the value before bathing was expressed, and the average value of the data obtained by the subject for 5 days was used.

[0083] As in the case of investigating the correlation between bathing time and blood flow, 210 L of hot water was poured into the bathtub and the bathing temperature was adjusted to 39°C, the bath additive of this example was added to adjust the bicarbonate ion concentration to 2 mmol / L, and the change in body temperature over time was measured when 10 subjects (healthy women aged 20 to 60 years) bathed in the bath. For comparison, the change in body temperature over time was also measured when 10 subjects bathed in normal hot water at 39°C. The results are shown in Table 4 and Figure 4.

[0084] [Table 4]

[0085] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the correlation between bathing time and body temperature. As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4, when bathing in normal hot water, the blood flow rate increases due to the action of the autonomic nerves, but the body temperature does not rise so much. On the other hand, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, when bathing in hot water in which the bath agent of this embodiment is added and the bicarbonate ion concentration is adjusted to 2 mmol / L, the bicarbonate ion is absorbed transdermally and nitric oxide is generated in the blood vessels, and the cyclic guainosine phosphate generated from the nitric oxide relaxes the smooth muscles, expanding the blood vessels and increasing the blood flow rate. As a result, after 10 minutes, the body temperature rose by about 0.7°C (about 0.5°C in the case of normal hot water) from the value before bathing, and after 20 minutes, the body temperature rose by about 1.5°C (about 1.1°C in the case of normal hot water) from the value before bathing, and the body temperature continued to rise gradually as the bathing time increased. From the results in Figure 4, it was found that when bathing in water with dissolved bicarbonate ions, body temperature was clearly higher than when bathing in normal water, and that bathing in water with dissolved bicarbonate ions warmed the body from the core. From the results in Figure 4, considering the significant difference in body temperature compared to bathing in normal water, it can be said that the optimal bathing conditions are a bathing time of 10 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or more, and it was found that when bathing under these bathing conditions, body temperature is about 0.2°C higher than when bathing in normal water.

[0086] Next, to clarify whether the body was warmed from the inside out, we investigated how body temperature changed after bathing. As with the above, body temperature can be measured using a regular thermometer such as an electronic thermometer or a non-contact thermometer, or a deep body thermometer (CORE manufactured by GreenTEG). In this measurement, a deep body thermometer was used. Note that the change from the value immediately after bathing was expressed here, and the average value of the data collected by the subjects over a 5-day period was used.

[0087] 210L of hot water was poured into the bathtub and the bathing temperature was adjusted to 39°C, the bath additive of this embodiment was poured into the bathtub to adjust the bicarbonate ion concentration to 2mmol / L, and 10 subjects (healthy women aged 20 to 60 years) were allowed to bathe for 20 minutes, after which the change in body temperature over time was measured when they spent their time normally in a room with an air temperature of 20 to 25°C. For comparison, 10 subjects were allowed to bathe for 20 minutes in normal hot water at 39°C, and the change in body temperature over time was measured when they spent their time normally in a room with an air temperature of 20 to 25°C. The results are shown in Table 5 and Figure 5.

[0088] [Table 5]

[0089] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the correlation between the time elapsed after bathing and body temperature. As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 5, when bathing in normal hot water, the blood flow rate increases to a certain extent due to the action of the autonomic nerves, but when the subject gets out of the bathtub, the blood flow rate returns to normal, and the body temperature drops rapidly. On the other hand, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, when bathing in hot water in which the bath agent of this embodiment is added and the bicarbonate ion concentration is adjusted to 2 mmol / L, the blood flow rate increases due to vasodilation caused by the transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions, and the body temperature rises. Therefore, even after 60 minutes of bathing, the body temperature drops by about 0.2°C (about 0.3°C for normal hot water) from the value immediately after bathing, and even after 120 minutes, the body temperature drops by about 0.3°C (about 0.5°C for normal hot water) from the value immediately after bathing. From the results in FIG. 5, when bathing in hot water in which bicarbonate ions are dissolved, the drop in body temperature is clearly suppressed compared to when bathing in normal hot water, and it was confirmed that bathing in hot water in which bicarbonate ions are dissolved warms the body from the core. From the results of Figure 5, considering the significant difference in body temperature compared to bathing in normal water, it can be said that a bathing time of 20 minutes or more is the preferable bathing condition, and it was found that when bathing under these bathing conditions, body temperature 60 to 120 minutes after bathing is approximately 0.1°C higher than when bathing in normal water.

[0090] Next, the sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) when the bathing method of the present invention was performed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) evaluates sleep over the past month based on the following items: sleep quality, time to fall asleep, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, difficulty in sleeping, use of sleeping pills, and difficulty in waking during the day. The lower the score, the higher the quality of sleep. Figure 7 shows the items asked in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the criteria for answering the questions.

[0091] The subjects were asked questions shown in FIG. 7, and the scores were calculated based on the criteria shown in FIG. 7 for their answers. The results are shown in Table 6. The subjects were 33 women, aged 48.5±7.1 years. The values ​​before use were values ​​when bathing with normal hot water, and the values ​​after 4 weeks of use were values ​​when bathing for 4 weeks with hot water containing the bath additive of this embodiment and dissolved bicarbonate ions, with a water temperature of 39°C, a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2 mmol / L, and a bathing time of 10 minutes or more, and are average values±standard deviations. The P value is the probability that a test statistic will be that value under the null hypothesis in a statistical hypothesis test, and is generally determined to be significant at P<0.05. Here, the P value was calculated by performing statistical analysis using Wilcoxon's signed rank test before and after 4 weeks of use.

[0092] [Table 6] *:P<0.05, **:P<0.01, ***:P<0.001

[0093] Table 6 was categorized into seven elements: quality of sleep, time to fall asleep, duration of sleep, sleep efficiency, difficulty sleeping, use of sleeping pills, and difficulty waking during the day. The total score was calculated and is shown in Table 7. The values ​​before and four weeks after use are the mean ± standard deviation, and the P value was calculated by performing a statistical analysis using a paired t-test between before and four weeks after use.

[0094] [Table 7] *:P<0.05, **:P<0.01, ***:P<0.001

[0095] As can be seen from Table 7, the group that bathed in water with the bath additive of this embodiment dissolved in it (after 4 weeks of use) showed significantly lower scores for sleep quality, time to fall asleep, sleep duration, difficulty to sleep, difficulty waking during the day, and overall score compared to the group that bathed in regular water (before use), with P values ​​less than 0.001. The score for sleep efficiency also decreased, with a P value less than 0.05, which is considered to indicate a significant difference. This shows that practicing the bathing method of the present invention is effective in improving sleep quality.

[0096] As described above, when using the tablet invented by the present inventors as a bath additive (a compressed tablet containing 1 / 10 to 1 / 3 organic acid, 1 / 100 to 1 / 5 polyethylene glycol, and 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 anhydride (anhydrous sodium carbonate or anhydrous potassium carbonate) relative to the bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate), in which the pH of the bath immediately after dissolving the compressed tablet is 5.5 to 8.5, the tablet has a Vickers hardness of 29 kg or more, and the diameter and thickness directions of the tablet are each 7 mm or more), bathing for 10 minutes or more under conditions of a bath temperature of 29 to 43°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 0.1 to 10 mmol / L, preferably bathing for 20 minutes or more under conditions of a bath temperature of 32 to 40°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 0.2 to 5 mmol / L, can maximize the effects of bathing, such as promoting blood flow through transdermal absorption of bicarbonate ions.

[0097] When bathing for 10 minutes or more in water that was 39°C and had a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2mmol / L, the bather's blood flow increased to more than four times what it was before bathing, and when bathing for 20 minutes or more in water that was 39°C and had a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2mmol / L, the bather's blood flow increased to more than five times what it was before bathing.

[0098] In addition, when bathing for 10 minutes or more in water with a temperature of 39°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2 mmol / L, the bather's body temperature was approximately 0.2°C higher than when bathing in water that did not contain bicarbonate ions, and after bathing for 20 minutes in water with a temperature of 39°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2 mmol / L, the bather's body temperature 60 to 120 minutes later was approximately 0.1°C higher than when bathing in water that did not contain bicarbonate ions.

[0099] In addition, after four weeks of bathing for 10 minutes or more in water with a temperature of 39°C and a bicarbonate ion concentration of 2 mmol / L, the scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were significantly lower than those before bathing in those conditions, with a P value of less than 0.001 obtained by statistical analysis using a t-test.

[0100] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the configuration can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0101] For example, the above examples describe the bathing conditions when the tablets invented by the inventors of the present application are used as bath additives, but the bathing method of the present invention can be similarly applied when other tablets that can dissolve bicarbonate ions to the same extent in hot water are used as bath additives. [Industrial Applicability]

[0102] The present invention can be used in a bathing method in which a person bathes in water having bicarbonate ions dissolved therein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1 epidermis 2 Dermis / subcutaneous adipose tissue 3 Pores 4. Sweat pores 5 blood vessels 6 Blood vessel wall 7 Smooth Muscle 8 Vascular endothelial cells 9 Intravascular

Claims

1. A bathing method in which a bath agent made of a compressed tablet is dissolved in hot water, The compressed tablet contains 1 / 10 to 1 / 3 of an organic acid, 1 / 100 to 1 / 5 of a polyethylene glycol, and 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 of an anhydride (anhydrous sodium carbonate or anhydrous potassium carbonate) relative to the bicarbonate (sodium hydrogen carbonate or potassium hydrogen carbonate), the pH of the aqueous solution immediately after dissolving the tablet is 5.5 to 8.5, the tablet has a Vickers hardness of 29 kg or more, and the diameter and thickness of the tablet are each 7 mm or more, In order to promote blood flow by percutaneous absorption of the bicarbonate ions dissolved in the hot water, the temperature of the hot water is 29 to 43°C and the concentration of the bicarbonate ions is 0.1 to 10 mmol / L, and the subject takes a bath for 10 minutes or more. A bathing method characterized by the above.

2. The temperature of the water is 32 to 40° C., and the concentration of the bicarbonate ions is 0.2 to 5 mmol / L. The subject takes a bath for 20 minutes or more.

2. The bathing method according to claim 1.

3. When the temperature of the water is 39° C. and the concentration of the bicarbonate ions is 2 mmol / L, and the person bathes for 10 minutes or more, the blood flow rate of the person bathing becomes approximately four times or more than that before bathing.

2. The bathing method according to claim 1.

4. When the temperature of the water is 39°C and the concentration of the bicarbonate ions is 2 mmol / L, and the person bathes for 20 minutes or more, the person's blood flow rate becomes approximately 5 times or more higher than before bathing.

2. The bathing method according to claim 1.

5. When the temperature of the water is 39°C and the concentration of the bicarbonate ions is 2 mmol / L, and the person bathes for 10 minutes or more, the person's body temperature becomes higher by approximately 0.2°C or more than when the person bathes in water that does not contain the bicarbonate ions.

4. The bathing method according to claim 3.

6. When the temperature of the water is 39°C and the concentration of the bicarbonate ions is 2 mmol / L, after a 20-minute bath, the body temperature of the bather 60 to 120 minutes later is approximately 0.1°C higher than when the bather bathes in water that does not contain the bicarbonate ions.

5. The bathing method according to claim 4.

7. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score after bathing for 4 weeks under the conditions of bathing for 10 minutes or more with the temperature of the water being 39°C and the concentration of the bicarbonate ion being 2 mmol / L is significantly lower than that before bathing under the bathing conditions, and the P value obtained by statistical analysis using a t-test is 0.001 or less.

4. The bathing method according to claim 3.

8. One of the organic acids is citric acid; 8. A bathing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The compressed tablet contains at least one selected from sodium n-(normal)octanesulfonate, sodium laurylsulfonate, sodium lauroylsarcosinate, and sodium myristoylmethylalanine.

9. The bathing method according to claim 8.

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