Condition-improving food with effects of suppressing fatigue and cognitive decline

Abstract

To provide a condition-improving food with effects of suppressing fatigue and cognitive decline.SOLUTION: A condition-improving food with effects of suppressing fatigue and cognitive decline contains plasmalogen, γ-aminobutyric acid, and a long pepper extract. The condition-improving food is used to alleviate feelings of fatigue and stress and improve the quality of sleep. The plasmalogen contained in the condition-improving food may be extracted from the mantle of scallops. The condition-improving food can alleviate feelings of fatigue and stress and improve sleep quality, thereby achieving effects of suppressing fatigue and cognitive decline.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a health-improving food having an effect of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decrease in thinking ability.

Background Art

[0002] According to an epidemiological survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Fatigue Research Group in the Osaka area in 2004, the proportion of people who feel fatigue is about 60%, and it was shown that more than half of them are troubled by chronic fatigue that lasts for more than half a year. Fatigue is not limited to physical activities but also originates from mental activities. Half of the people troubled by chronic fatigue that persists for a long time have a decreased work ability due to fatigue and cannot fully engage in activities compared to before, and the economic loss due to fatigue is estimated to be 1.2 trillion yen per year (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] According to a nationwide questionnaire survey of 100,000 people conducted in 2022, it was revealed that the proportion of people who feel fatigue has increased to about 80% (Non-Patent Document 2). It is speculated that the increasing trend of the economic loss amount accompanying this increase will continue in the future.

[0004] In recent years, feelings of fatigue, negative moods, and stress related to emotions have been regarded as serious problems both in personal life and in the whole of social activities. Sustained stress causes daytime sleepiness, decreased attention, and decreased performance ability due to sleep disorders, as well as emotional changes such as irritation and depression. In addition, chronic stress is accompanied by feelings of fatigue and stress, disrupts the homeostatic maintenance mechanism, and causes mental or organic disorders. In particular, it has already been reported that brain inflammation is involved in chronic fatigue (Non-Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 3).

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Against the backdrop described above, there is a need to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the generation of fatigue and stress, as well as to develop pharmaceuticals, but no solutions have been achieved yet. For this reason, there is an expectation for the development of foods that are relatively easy to consume continuously on a daily basis and have no side effects and can be used to promote thinking ability and activity ability.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a health-improving food having an effect of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The health-improving food having an effect of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability according to the present invention contains plasmalogen and γ-aminobutyric acid.

[0009] In one configuration example of the health-improving food having an effect of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability, it further contains a component that promotes blood circulation.

[0010] In one configuration example of a physical condition improving food having the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability, the ingredients include at least one of abalone extract, gingerol, zingerone, capsaicin, allicin, α-pinene, caffeine, capsiate, capsinoid, singol, piperine, eugenol, sanshool, allyl isothiocyanate, thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, menthol, cineole, cinnamaldehyde, allicin, diallyl disulfide, mioga nal, and nialdial.

[0011] In one configuration example of a physical condition improving food having the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability, the plasmalogen is extracted from the mantle of an abalone.

Effects of the Invention

[0012] As described above, according to the present invention, since it contains plasmalogen and γ-aminobutyric acid, a physical condition improving food having the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability can be provided.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, a physical condition improving food having the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. This physical condition improving food (hereinafter abbreviated as the physical condition improving food) having the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability contains plasmalogen and γ-aminobutyric acid. This physical condition improving food is used for suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability. According to this physical condition improving food, for example, it is possible to improve feelings of fatigue, stress, and the quality of sleep.

[0014] In addition, this health-improving food can further contain a component that promotes blood circulation. The component that promotes blood circulation can be at least one of abalone extract, gingerol, zingerone, capsaicin, allicin, α-pinene, caffeine, capsiate, capsinoid, singol, piperine, eugenol, sanshool, allyl isothiocyanate, thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, menthol, cineole, cinnamaldehyde, allicin, diallyl disulfide, mioga nal, and nio gadial. Further, for example, the plasmalogen contained in the health-improving food can be extracted from the mantle of abalone.

[0015] In addition, the health-improving food according to the embodiment can contain a purified product purified by the method shown below. Regarding the purified product, first, in the first step, an extract obtained by ethanol extraction from the dried mantle of abalone is obtained. For example, 90 kg of the dried mantle of abalone is mixed with about 100 to 2000 kg of ethanol with a concentration of 95% at a liquid temperature of about 20 to 60°C and stirred for 1 to 5 hours. This extraction treatment can be carried out, for example, in an atmosphere containing no oxygen such as under a nitrogen atmosphere. After that, the mantle of abalone is taken out (separated) from the ethanol to obtain a first extract.

[0016] Next, the taken-out mantle of abalone is mixed again with about 100 to 2000 kg of ethanol with a concentration of 95% at a liquid temperature of about 20 to 60°C and stirred for 1 to 5 hours. This extraction treatment can also be carried out, for example, in an atmosphere containing no oxygen such as under a nitrogen atmosphere. After that, the mantle of abalone is taken out (separated) from the ethanol to obtain a second extract. The obtained first extract and second extract are mixed, and the mixture is filtered to obtain an extract.

[0017] Next, in the second step, the obtained extract is concentrated to obtain a concentrated solution. Next, in the third step, the concentrated solution is adjusted by adding edible oil and an antioxidant. The edible oil can be, for example, olive oil. Also, the antioxidant can be vitamin E. The edible oil is not limited to olive oil, and can be vegetable oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, or fish oil, etc., and these can also be used in combination. The antioxidant is not limited to vitamin E, and rosemary extract, tea extract, etc. can be used, and these can also be combined. The above-mentioned extract contains plasmalogen.

[0018] Next, the effect of improving physical condition using the food for improving physical condition according to the above-described embodiment will be described using examples.

[0019] In the example, a human test was conducted using a food for improving physical condition according to an embodiment in which hihatsu extract was added as a component for promoting blood circulation. In this test, 33 subjects who were explained the test content and gave consent were used. The 33 subjects consisted of 18 men and 15 women.

[0020] A solid food for improving physical condition was ingested for 10 weeks so that the daily intake of plasmalogen was 0.5 mg, the intake of γ-aminobutyric acid was 28 mg, and the intake of hihatsu extract was 82.5 mg. Also, for comparison, a placebo food was used. The placebo food was made to have no difference in the amounts of components such as energy, carbohydrates, and lipids except that it did not contain plasmalogen, γ-aminobutyric acid, and hihatsu extract.

[0021] The test was conducted by randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel group comparison.

[0022] The evaluation indicators (main evaluation items) for effectiveness were the short version of POMS2 for adults and the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-j).

[0023] In the shortened version of the POMS2 for adults, the individual raw scores of the seven scales of "Anger-Hostility (AH)", "Confusion-Bewilderment (CB)", "Depression-Despair (DD)", "Fatigue-Inertia (FI)", "Tension-Anxiety (TA)", "Vigor-Vitality (VA)", "Friendliness (F)" and "Total Mood Disturbance (TMD)" which comprehensively represents the negative mood state were calculated.

[0024] PSQI-j is widely used as an assessment of sleep disorders and is calculated as the total score of each of the seven elements of "sleep quality", "sleep latency", "sleep duration", "sleep efficiency", "use of sleep medications", and "difficulty staying awake during the day".

[0025] In addition, as secondary evaluation items, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Visual Analogue Scale for fatigue (VAS) were used.

[0026] The ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) is a scale consisting of 8 items including 7 elements created by John MW in 1991, which can measure subjective excessive daytime sleepiness.

[0027] The VAS is generally used mainly in the field of anesthesiology for the purpose of more objectively evaluating subjective symptoms such as pain sensation that are difficult to actually measure, and the usefulness of its scale has already been established. In recent years, it has also been used as a scale for health-related QOL and fatigue. The VAS for fatigue developed by the Japanese Society for Fatigue Science is set with "the best feeling of not feeling tired at all" at the left end and "the worst feeling of being exhausted so that you can't do anything" at the right end for the feeling of fatigue with respect to a 100-mm horizontal straight line, and by putting an "x" mark on it, it represents the current subjective mood of the subject, and the distance from the left end to the "x" mark measured in mm is used as the value.

[0028] In this test, the measurements of the primary and secondary evaluation items every two weeks were taken after temporarily imposing a strong stress load by the Uchida-Kraepelin test. The Uchida-Kraepelin test used as the stress load is a psychological test in which simple single-digit addition is performed every minute while changing the row, with a 15-minute break in the first half and 15 minutes in the second half, for a total of 30 minutes.

[0029] For the POMS2 short version for adults and the fatigue VAS, a two-sample t-test was used for between-group comparison of the change amount of the test values at each time point from the pre-intake value. As a reference, a one-sample t-test was used to evaluate the change amount of the test values at each time point after intake from the pre-intake value in each group.

[0030] For the PSQI-j, ESS, and fatigue sensation VAS, the Friedman test was used for between-group comparison of the change amount of the test values at each time point from the pre-intake value. As a reference, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed for the change amount from the pre-intake at each time point after intake in each group. The tests were evaluated using SPSS (Ver. 26). The numerical values are shown as the mean ± standard deviation, and the significance level of the test was set at 5% two-sided.

[0031] [Effect of the physical condition improvement food on mood and emotional state] In the following Tables 1, 2, and 3, the item scores for the seven subscales and the overall mood state at each time point (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after the start of the intervention) during the 10-week intervention period using the POMS2 short version for adults, the change rates compared with the pre-test values of those values, and the between-group differences in the change amount (Δ value) from the pre-test values are shown.

[0032] The change amounts (Δ values) of confusion - bewilderment (CB) from before intake to the 4th, 8th, and 10th weeks were significantly decreased (improved) in the physical condition improvement food group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.02, P = 0.01, P = 0.02).

[0033] The change amount (Δ value) from before the intake of depression - depression (DD) to the 4th week and 10th week was significantly decreased (improved) in the physical condition improving food group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.02, P = 0.04).

[0034] The change amount (Δ value) from before the intake of fatigue - asthenia (FI) to the 4th week, 8th week, and 10th week was significantly decreased (improved) in the physical condition improving food group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.03, P = 0.036, P = 0.035).

[0035] The change amount (Δ value) from before the intake of tension - anxiety (TA) to the 2nd week, 4th week, 8th week, and 10th week was significantly decreased (improved) in the physical condition improving food group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.029, P = 0.04, P = 0.0098, P = 0.015).

[0036] The change amount (Δ value) from before the intake of the overall mood state (TMD) to the 4th week and 8th week was significantly decreased (improved) in the physical condition improving food group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.0499, P = 0.039). In addition, for anger - hostility (AH), vigor - vitality (VA), and friendliness (F), no statistically significant difference was confirmed between the groups.

[0037] In the within - group comparison of the scores of each group, for AH (each time point), CB (each time point), DD (each time point), TA (each time point), VA (each time point), F (each time point), and TMD (each time point) in the placebo group and the physical condition improving food group, no significant change was confirmed compared to the pre - test values.

[0038]

Table 1

[0039]

Table 2

[0040]

Table 3

[0041] [Effect of Foods for Improving Physical Condition on Sleep Quality] The results of evaluating the sleep state using PSQI-j during the 10-week intake period are shown in Tables 4, 5, and 6. No statistically significant difference was observed among the groups in terms of the change amount of PSQI-j.

[0042] In the within-group comparison of the measured values of each group, in the plasma plasmalogen group, the total score (at each time point), sleep quality (c1) (at each time point), sleep onset latency (C2) (at each time point), sleep duration (C3) (at each time point), sleep difficulty (C5) (after 4 and 12 weeks), and daytime sleepiness (C7) (at each time point) significantly changed (improved) compared with the pre-test values. In the placebo group, there was no significant change (improvement) in the total score (at each time point) and sleep quality (C1) (at each time point) compared with the pre-test values.

[0043] [Table 4] [Table 5] [Table 6]

[0044] [Secondary Evaluation Items] Tables 7 and 8 below show the scores at each time point (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after the start of the intervention) during the 10-week intervention period using ESS and the VAS for fatigue, the change rates compared with the pre-test values of those values, and the between-group differences in the change amounts (Δ values) from the pre-test values. No significant difference was observed among the groups in terms of the change amounts of ESS and the VAS for fatigue. In the within-group comparison of the measured values of each group, there was no significant change (improvement) at each time point compared with the pre-test values in both groups.

[0045] [Table 7] [Table 8]

[0046] In Tables 9 and 10 below, for each group before and after the Uchida-Kraepelin test every two weeks, the scores at each time point (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after the start of the intervention) of the fatigue VAS during the 10-week intervention period, the change rate compared with the pre-test values of those values, and the within-group differences of the measured values of each group in the amount of change (Δ value) from the pre-test value are shown before and after the Uchida-Kraepelin test, respectively. A significant difference was recognized in the amount of change in the fatigue VAS before and after the Uchida-Kraepelin test in all cases. In the within-group comparison of the measured values before and after the Uchida-Kraepelin test, there was no significant fluctuation at each time point in both groups compared with the pre-test value.

[0047]

Table 9

[0048]

Table 10

[0049] In the above-mentioned test, for healthy adult men and women, subjective evaluation was used for the effects of continuous intake of the physical condition-improving food according to the implementation form on the fatigue feeling, stress feeling, and sleep after temporary mental stress load.

[0050] The used Uchida-Kraepelin test, which was a temporary mental stress load, was found to significantly increase the sense of fatigue in the VAS of fatigue. Moreover, in the Confusion-Bewilderment (CB) of the shortened version of POMS2 for adults, which is the result of the main evaluation item implemented afterwards, the improvement range from before intake at the time of the test in the physical condition improving food group was larger than that in the placebo group, and a statistically significant difference was recognized at 4, 8, and 10 weeks of intake. In terms of Depression-Despair (DD), the improvement range from before intake at the time of the test in the physical condition improving food group was larger than that in the placebo group, and a statistically significant difference was recognized at 4 and 10 weeks of intake. In terms of Fatigue-Inertia (FI), the improvement range from before intake at the time of the test in the physical condition improving food group was larger than that in the placebo group, and a statistically significant difference was recognized at 4, 8, and 10 weeks of intake. In terms of Tension-Anxiety (TA), the improvement range from before intake at the time of the test in the physical condition improving food group was larger than that in the placebo group, and a statistically significant difference was recognized at 2, 4, 8, and 10 weeks of intake. In terms of Total Mood Disturbance (TMD), the improvement range from before intake at the time of the test in the physical condition improving food group was larger than that in the placebo group, and a statistically significant difference was recognized at 4 and 8 weeks of intake.

[0051] Regarding the presence or absence of the effect on the sense of fatigue and the sense of stress after a mental stress load by taking the physical condition improving food, the significant improvement in the negative scales of the shortened version of POMS2 for adults, "Confusion-Bewilderment", "Depression-Despair", "Fatigue-Inertia", "Tension-Anxiety", and "Total Mood Disturbance", suppresses the inflammation in the brain caused by stress, promotes the suppression of the sympathetic nerve and the enhancement of the parasympathetic nerve, thereby affecting the quality of sleep, and is considered to bring about the suppression of irritation and depression states caused by the sense of stress, the suppression of the sense of fatigue, and the suppression of the sense of tension.

[0052] As a result of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel group comparison test targeting healthy adults, the physical condition improving food according to the embodiment was confirmed to have the effect of reducing "Confusion-Bewilderment", "Depression-Despair", "Fatigue-Inertia", "Tension-Anxiety", and "Total Mood Disturbance", which are the indicators of negative mood in the shortened version of POMS2 for adults. From this, the effect of enhancing thinking ability, suppressing depression, reducing the sense of fatigue, suppressing the decline of vitality, and alleviating the sense of tension became clear.

[0053] As described above, according to the present invention, since it contains plasmalogen, γ-aminobutyric acid, and Japanese butterbur extract, it becomes possible to provide a food for improving physical condition that has an effect of suppressing fatigue and suppressing a decline in thinking ability.

[0054] Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is obvious that many modifications and combinations can be implemented by those having ordinary knowledge in the art within the technical idea of the present invention.

Claims

1. A health-improving food containing plasmalogen and γ-aminobutyric acid, which has the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing the decline in thinking ability

2. In the health-improving food according to Claim 1, A health-improving food containing a component that promotes blood circulation and has the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing the decline in thinking ability.

3. In the health-improving food according to Claim 2, The component is at least one of hihatchu extract, gingerol, zingerone, capsaicin, allicin, α-pinene, caffeine, capsiate, capsinoid, singolol, piperine, eugenol, sanshool, allyl isothiocyanate, thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, menthol, cineole, cinnamaldehyde, allicin, diallyl disulfide, mioga nal, niogadial, and has the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing the decline in thinking ability.

4. In the health-improving food according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, The plasmalogen is extracted from the mantle of scallops and has the effects of suppressing fatigue and suppressing the decline in thinking ability.

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