Food composition for weight loss and food composition for improving intestinal environment

Abstract

To provide a food composition for weight loss that is derived from food ingredients, etc., is highly safe and possesses excellent efficacy.SOLUTION: The food composition for weight loss of the present invention contains passion fruit seeds or their extract, as well as live yeast bacteria.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a weight-slimming food composition, and more particularly to a weight-slimming food composition containing passion fruit seed extract and live yeast. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that an increase in body weight and body fat leads to the excessive accumulation of fat in the body, resulting in obesity. Obesity is a lifestyle-related disease that can be complicated by diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and other conditions, and can lead to the onset of various illnesses. Therefore, dietary therapy that restricts calorie intake is recommended as a means of preventing or treating obesity. In modern times, enjoying delicious meals and desserts is one of the familiar pleasures of life, but because so-called "delicious foods" contain a lot of carbohydrates and lipids and are high in calories, the intake of these types of foods is often restricted from the perspective of preventing and treating obesity.

[0003] Therefore, in order to prevent or improve obesity, foods (supplements, etc.) that have slimming effects and lipid accumulation inhibitory effects have attracted attention. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a food composition containing a plant of the genus African mango of the family Spinach family or an extract thereof and seaweed of the genus Fucus of the family Fucus or an extract thereof has a slimming effect. Furthermore, Non-Patent Document 1 reports that piceatannol contained in passion fruit seeds and the like has the effect of significantly reducing fat accumulation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6895860 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Jason Szuhao YANG, et al., Current Research in Food Science, Vol.3, pp.92-99, 2020 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As mentioned above, various naturally occurring materials have been reported to have slimming effects and lipid accumulation inhibitory effects, but there is a need for slimming food compositions that are more effective and safer.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to provide a slimming food composition derived from food ingredients, etc., which is highly safe and has excellent effects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have found that combining passion fruit seed extract with live yeast improves the absorption of piceatannol contained in passion fruit seed extract into the body, and also enhances the carbohydrate-degrading effect of the enzymes contained in the live yeast, resulting in a more effective slimming effect. Based on this finding, the present invention has been completed.

[0009] To solve the above problems, the slimming food composition of the present invention contains passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof and live yeast. The combined use of these ingredients improves the absorption of piceatannol contained in the passion fruit seed extract into the body, further enhancing its effects of promoting fat metabolism and inhibiting fat accumulation. Furthermore, the live yeast also contributes to the powerful carbohydrate degradation activity of the live yeast, resulting in a slimming food composition with superior slimming effects. Passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof are obtained from the popular passion fruit, and the live yeast is a live (living) yeast used in the production of foods such as bread and alcohol. Therefore, the composition is highly safe and can be taken on a daily basis as a food supplement or the like.

[0010] Furthermore, in the slimming food composition of the present invention, the live yeast is preferably a live yeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NK-1 strain, which allows for the selection of a yeast that not only has carbohydrate decomposition activity but also has excellent acid resistance, the ability to suppress an increase in blood sugar level, and the ability to regulate the intestines.

[0011] Furthermore, in the slimming food composition of the present invention, the passion fruit seed or its extract preferably contains piceatannol, thereby ensuring that the composition contains a component that can promote fat consumption and inhibit fat accumulation.

[0012] The intestinal environment-improving food composition of the present invention contains passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof and live yeast. In addition to the slimming effect described above, the food composition comprising these ingredients improves intestinal flora, i.e., improves the intestinal environment, mainly due to the intestinal regulating effect derived from the live yeast. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a slimming food composition and a food composition for improving the intestinal environment that have the following excellent effects. (1) The absorption of piceatannol contained in passion fruit seed extract into the body is improved, which further enhances the fat metabolism promoting effect and the fat accumulation inhibiting effect. In addition, the powerful carbohydrate decomposition effect of live yeast cells is added, which provides an excellent slimming effect. (2) The ingredients are food-derived ingredients originally found in fruits and fermented foods, making them highly safe. (3) In addition to its slimming effect, it also improves the intestinal environment by balancing the intestinal bacteria that make up the intestinal flora. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The slimming food composition and the intestinal environment-improving food composition of the present invention will be described below.

[0015] (Slimming food composition) The slimming food composition and the intestinal environment improving food composition according to the present invention contain passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof and live yeast.

[0016] (Passion fruit seeds or their extracts) First, the passion fruit seeds or their extracts contained in the food composition of the present invention will be described. Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is a plant of the Passifloraceae family native to subtropical regions. Passion fruit seeds are edible together with the fruit pulp. These passion fruit seeds contain piceatannol, a type of polyphenol with a stilbene skeleton, at a high concentration of more than 5 mg per gram of seed. The food composition of the present invention can contain passion fruit seeds themselves or products extracted and purified from passion fruit seeds. When passion fruit seeds themselves are used, they can be used as they are collected from the fruit, or they can be ground into powder using a mill mixer or the like.

[0017] On the other hand, when using an extract of passion fruit seeds, the extraction solvent and extraction method are not particularly limited as long as the extract is obtained by a method that can extract at least piceatannol. Specific extraction solvents for obtaining the passion fruit seed extract of the present invention include, for example, water; alcohols such as ethanol, methanol, propanol, propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, and glycerin; ethers such as diethyl ether; acetone, hexane, ethyl acetate, dimethyl sulfoxide, etc.; and mixed solvents consisting of combinations thereof. The extraction solvent may also contain other components such as inorganic salts, preservatives, and extraction aids, as long as they do not interfere with the extraction of useful components from passion fruit seeds. In the present invention, from the viewpoints of efficient extraction of useful components that promote fat metabolism from passion fruit seeds and safety, it is preferable to prepare the extract using water, ethanol, or a mixed solvent of water and ethanol as the extraction solvent. The extraction method involves crushing and pulverizing the seeds collected from passion fruit, followed by addition of an extraction solvent, followed by removal of the residue by centrifugation, filtration, decantation, or the like, to obtain a liquid extract. This can be made into a concentrated liquid by reducing the extraction solvent components, or into a solid or powder form by processing such as spray drying. In the present invention, Passenol (registered trademark)-PA (powder type, product of Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) and Passenol-LA (liquid type, product of Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) are preferably used as the passion fruit seed extract.

[0018] From the viewpoints of safety and the effects of promoting fat metabolism and inhibiting fat accumulation, the amount of passion fruit seed or an extract thereof in the food composition of the present invention is preferably 0.3 to 30% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 15% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass, calculated on solid matter, of the total food composition. Furthermore, the food composition of the present invention preferably contains 0.01 to 1% by mass, more preferably 0.015 to 0.5% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.015 to 0.15% by mass of piceatannol based on the total food composition.

[0019] (live yeast) Next, the live yeast contained in the food composition of the present invention will be described. Live yeast refers to yeast in a viable state. The viable state includes dormant states. The yeast is not particularly limited as long as it is non-pathogenic and highly safe. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has long been used in the production of foods such as bread and alcohol, is preferred, with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae NK-1 strain being particularly preferred. The live yeast may be dry or wet, as long as it remains viable. For example, in the present invention, the live yeast is preferably from the Living Yeast (registered trademark) series (Nikkenkyo Service Co., Ltd.), which is a digestion-resistant version of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NK-1 strain.

[0020] From the viewpoint of the action and effect, the amount of live yeast in the food composition of the present invention is preferably 30 to 90 mass % of the total food composition, calculated as solid matter, more preferably 50 to 85 mass %, and particularly preferably 60 to 80 mass %.

[0021] (Manufacturing method) The slimming food composition and intestinal environment-improving food composition according to the present invention can be produced by known methods, specifically by mixing and dispersing the above-mentioned ingredients.

[0022] In addition to the above-mentioned ingredients, the food composition of the present invention can be prepared in various forms by conventional methods by appropriately blending ingredients such as excipients, lubricants, dispersants, disintegrants, buffers, bulking agents, preservatives, flavorings, or stabilizers that are commonly used in the production of foods such as supplements and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, to improve the bioavailability and stability of the active ingredients in the food composition of the present invention, drug delivery systems including formulation techniques such as microencapsulation, micronization, and inclusion with cyclodextrin, etc., can also be used.

[0023] Furthermore, the food composition of the present invention can be in any form, such as supplements such as tablets, capsules, granules, and syrups; beverages such as soft drinks, fruit juices, and alcoholic beverages; confectioneries such as candy, gum, cookies, biscuits, and chocolate; bread, porridge, cereal, noodles, jellies, soups, dairy products, and seasonings. The food composition of the present invention can also be combined with various other functional ingredients, prebiotics such as various vitamins, minerals, oligosaccharides, and water-soluble dietary fiber, or other probiotics, as long as the efficacy of the active ingredient of the present invention is not affected. Food compositions of the present invention include supplements, health foods, functional foods, and foods for specified health uses. Furthermore, the daily intake of the food composition of the present invention is preferably 5 mg to 300 mg of passion fruit seed extract (containing approximately 3.5 w / w% piceatannol) and 100 mg to 10 g of live yeast, and more preferably 5 mg to 100 mg of passion fruit seed extract (containing approximately 3.5 w / w% piceatannol, calculated on a solid basis) and 500 mg to 5 g of live yeast (calculated on a solid basis).

[0024] (Slimming food composition) The food composition of the present invention can be used as a slimming food composition. The slimming food composition of the present invention contains live yeast in addition to passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof. The combination of these ingredients improves the absorption of piceatannol contained in the passion fruit seed extract into the body, thereby promoting fat consumption and further improving the effect of inhibiting fat accumulation. Furthermore, the carbohydrate-degrading effect of the live yeast is added, resulting in a more effective slimming effect. As used herein, slimming effect refers to a reduction in body weight or body fat, and refers to a reduction in body weight or body fat compared to a control that does not ingest the slimming food composition of the present invention.

[0025] (Food composition for improving intestinal environment) Furthermore, the food composition of the present invention can be used as a food composition for improving the intestinal environment. The food composition for improving the intestinal environment of the present invention contains live yeast in addition to passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof, and by combining these, in addition to the slimming effect described above, the intestinal flora is improved, i.e., the intestinal environment is improved, mainly due to the intestinal regulating effect derived from the live yeast. In this specification, the intestinal environment improving effect refers to improving the balance of intestinal bacteria that make up the intestinal flora, and means increasing the number of so-called good bacteria such as Bifidobacterium bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and butyric acid-producing bacteria and suppressing the growth of bad bacteria, compared to a control that does not ingest the intestinal environment-improving food composition of the present invention.

[0026] Furthermore, the slimming food composition and intestinal environment-improving food composition according to the present invention contain passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof, which provides the added skin-beautifying effect of piceatannol. Specifically, the food composition increases the moisture content of the stratum corneum, improving skin moisturizing power and skin elasticity, thereby reducing wrinkles and sagging. Furthermore, the food composition according to the present invention contains live yeast, which regulates the amount of moisture in the intestines, thereby improving bowel movements, improving immune function, suppressing blood sugar levels, and promoting good sleep. [Example]

[0027] A food composition in the form of capsules (1 capsule: containing 350 mg) of Production Example 1 was prepared according to the following formulation.

[0028] (Production Example 1) Passion fruit seed extract (Pasenol PA, Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) 5.0 mg Live yeast (live yeast mix KC, Nikkenkyo Service Co., Ltd.) 300.0 mg Excipient 45.0mg Total 350.0mg

[0029] The concentration of piceatannol in the passion fruit seed extract blended in Production Example 1 was approximately 3.5 w / w%.

[0030] In addition, examples of formulations for granule food compositions are shown below.

[0031] (Prescription example) Passion fruit seed extract (Pasenol PA, Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) 4.5 mg Live yeast (live yeast mix KC, Nikkenkyo Service Co., Ltd.) 300.0 mg Spore-forming lactic acid bacteria 25.0mg Galactooligosaccharides 30.0mg Excipient 35.5mg Fragrance 5.0mg Total 400.0mg

[0032] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments or examples, and its technical scope also includes various modified design forms within the scope that do not deviate from the gist of the invention described in the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] The present invention provides a food composition for slimming and a food composition for improving the intestinal environment, which is useful in a wide range of industries in the fields of functional foods such as supplements and health care.

Claims

1. A slimming food composition comprising passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof and live yeast.

2. 2. The slimming food composition according to claim 1, wherein the live yeast is a live yeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NK-1 strain.

3. 2. The slimming food composition according to claim 1, wherein the passion fruit seed or its extract contains piceatannol.

4. A food composition for improving the intestinal environment, comprising passion fruit seeds or an extract thereof and live yeast.