JP2002051729A - Swallowing auxiliary - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a swallowing auxiliary, enabling users such as aged persons, patients, or infants having feeding/swallowing difficulty to safely swallow liquid foods without spoiling tastes and flavors inherent in the foods through adding it to foods so as to impart moderate viscosity to the foods. SOLUTION: This swallowing auxiliary has such physical properties as to enable users such as aged persons, patients, or infants having feeding/swallowing difficulty to easily swallow foods by imparting moderate viscosity to foods and granulating the resultant food so as to be quickly dissolved even in cold liquid foods, so as to make foods present viscosity through adding a smaller amount of the agent than that of a conventional food thickening agent, and to make the foods have low adhesiveness to the inner oral cavity without spoiling tastes or flavors inherent in the foods.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a composition for adjusting the viscosity of food and drink. More specifically, the present invention relates to a composition that exhibits favorable viscosity as a food for infants and persons with dysphagia by adding and dissolving it to food and drink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the progress of an aging society, diseases such as cerebrovascular disorder, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease,
Eating due to tooth deficiency due to aging, deterioration of oral function, etc.
The elderly and patients with dysphagia are increasing. When patients with this dysphagia or elderly people ingest liquid foods, they may have difficulty breathing or cause aspiration to accidentally enter the trachea, causing aspiration pneumonia, It is known to cause harm to the health of patients and patients.

Generally, food that enters the mouth forms a bolus in the oral cavity after being chewed, and is sent to the pharynx by the movement of the tongue, and then reaches the esophagus at a stretch by a reflex called “swallowing reflex”. In the swallowing reflex, it is important that the pharynx, which functions as a lid, acts on the passage of food in a timely manner so that food does not enter the trachea.

In diseases such as cerebrovascular disorders and the elderly,
If there is a failure in the part that controls oral function and the swallowing reflex, it is likely to cause a decrease in recognition in the oral cavity and a delay in the swallowing reflex,
Liquids such as low-viscosity water with a high pharyngeal passage speed tend to cause “aspiration” and choking that enter the trachea soon after the pharyngeal lid closes.

By imparting viscosity to this low viscosity liquid, the liquid is slowly fed into the pharynx and bolus formation is facilitated, so that the movement of the epiglottis can be performed properly. Therefore, it is necessary to thicken the liquid food so that the liquid food can be swallowed safely without ingesting the food or drink having low viscosity.

In addition, the standard of “food for people with difficult mastication” of the food for the elderly of the Ministry of Health and Welfare requires that the viscosity of the sol be 1500 mPa · s or more.

[0007] A technique has been developed for increasing the viscosity of patients and elderly people who suffer from eating and dysphagia by adding and mixing them to liquids. For example, a mixture of a pregelatinized starch preparation and dextrin is already commercially available ("Tromelin", Sanwa Chemical Laboratory Co., Ltd.), and can be directly added to and mixed with low-temperature liquid foods. Since the expression is weak, an addition amount of 4.7 to 5.0% (W / V) or more to the liquid food is required. For this reason, the starch odor and the powdery odor become strong, and the appearance becomes cloudy, and the taste and flavor originally possessed by the liquid food before being added are greatly impaired by being enveloped in a paste-like feeling.

On the other hand, warm ones have a low viscosity and need to be added in a larger amount, so that the flavor is more likely to be reduced.

A liquid food thickener prepared by mixing a dextrin with a thickening polysaccharide such as guar gum which is excellent in water solubility in leguminous plant seeds has the advantage that the amount added is relatively small. Since the raw materials vary widely depending on the year and the harvesting date, the degree of purification of the gum is low, resulting in powder having a peculiar bean smell. As a result, the flavor of the food to be added is remarkably changed, and at the same time, the viscosity changes slowly at the time of ingestion because the onset of the thickening is slow and the viscosity gradually increases with time.

[0010] Further, although the viscosity is exhibited by the addition of 1%, the viscosity is accelerated by a slight increase in the amount added, so that it is difficult to adjust the viscosity. In addition, although it has a certain viscosity, it has high spinnability like honey and high adhesiveness in the oral cavity, so that food remains attached especially to the pharynx,
It returned discomfort and was not preferred for oral hygiene. For those who have difficulty swallowing, "aspiration pneumonia" may occur when bacteria in the oral cavity enter the lungs, and it is necessary to maintain good oral hygiene.

[0011] Some of these dysphagia patients, such as patients with cerebrovascular disorders and dementia, and the elderly, are instructed during hospitalization to use swallowing aids to prevent aspiration. Taste is impaired by the addition of swallowing aids, reducing the appetite of patients and the elderly, and after transitioning to home care, foods with these added will be avoided due to reduced taste and discomfort, making it easier to use. They tend to stop. This has often led to nutritional problems such as repeated aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration.

[0012]

Some elderly people and patients with cerebrovascular disorders, such as water, milk, juice, tea, miso soup, and soup, have dysphagia due to reduced swallowing function. It causes dyspnea when eating, and aspiration pneumonia by accidentally entering the trachea. In order to prevent such aspiration, it is necessary to give the liquid food an appropriate viscosity.

However, as described above, in the food thickeners used so far, the highest priority is given to obtaining viscosity, and the taste, color, aroma, etc., of the added food itself are impaired, and the taste is improved. It was detrimental. In addition, the adhesiveness in the oral cavity also increased with the increase in viscosity, and the aftertaste was poor, which was not preferable in oral hygiene.

An object of the present invention is to solve such problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to easily give a liquid food a viscous property. Even those who have dysphagia by exerting their synergistic functions without sacrificing the taste of the original food can easily and safely add the food to the food by adding it to the food To provide a swallowing aid that can be swallowed.

[0015]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is characterized in that it is a mixture containing a processed starch pregelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking, and further containing a sugar alcohol and water-soluble dietary fiber. Is provided.

The above sugar alcohol may be one or a combination of two or more of erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, lactitol and reduced palatinose.

The amount of the sugar alcohol may be in the range of 0.01 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.4 to 5.0% by weight of the powder composition.

The water-soluble dietary fiber may be composed of one or more of indigestible dextrin, corn fiber and guar gum.

The amount of the water-soluble dietary fiber is 0.01 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 8.0% by weight of the powder composition.
It may be configured to be in the range of weight%.

When the above mixture is added, 1500 mPa ·
A configuration may be adopted in which a viscosity of s or more is imparted, the original taste and aroma of the food are not impaired, and the aftertaste is not deteriorated.

Examples of the poor aftertaste include bitterness caused by naringin contained in citrus fruits or juice containing juice of the citrus fruits, bitterness caused by tannin contained in tea or caffeine contained in coffee, citrus fruits or the citrus fruits Examples include, but are not limited to, the acid contained in the juice containing the fruit juice or the inferior aftertaste caused by strongly feeling the sweetness of the juice containing the fruit or vegetable juice.

[0022]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the swallowing aid according to the present invention will be described based on examples. The present inventors have studied various kinds of pregelatinized starch in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result, have found that a mixture mainly containing processed starch pregelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking and further containing a sugar alcohol and water-soluble dietary fiber. It has been found that it is easy to swallow without adding to the oral cavity without impairing the taste of the food without giving the taste of the food a good thickening effect of maintaining the viscosity. From this, the above-mentioned mixture was found to be suitable as a swallowing aid, and the present invention was achieved.

The processed starch, which is one of the main components of the swallowing aid of the present invention, has the following characteristics. (1) Because it is a pregelatinized and phosphoric acid-crosslinked modified starch, it has excellent solubility in low-temperature liquid foods and exhibits a small amount of viscosity. Suitable as a substrate. (2) The starch granules have a swelling texture due to swelling, have low adhesiveness, and are easily swallowed without remaining in the oral cavity. (3) There is no starch odor, and the taste and aroma of the food itself remain as they are, and the taste of the food is not wrapped by the pasty feeling seen in other swallowing aids, and the taste is not spoiled.

By the way, in the conventional beverage, since the back part of the tongue passes by in an instant, the strength of the taste is not felt and the balance of the taste is maintained.

However, the processed starch pregelatinized after the above-mentioned phosphoric acid crosslinking of the present invention exerts a thickening effect without impairing the taste of the added food itself, so that it is slowly fed into the pharynx at the time of swallowing. The length of time that the food is in contact with the rear part is prolonged, and the taste tends to be strongly felt.

[0026] Even if the taste of the food itself is strongly felt by the addition of the swallowing aid, there are some foods which do not cause any problem, but there are also cases where the problem arises. For example, citrus in general preferable moderate bitterness, for example, grapefruit, summer tangerine, Unshu mandarin and the like, or naringin contained in juices containing the juice of these citrus, tannin contained in green tea and roasted tea, or contained in coffee and the like Caffeine and the like may act to give a strong bitter taste. Moreover, the sourness contained in the whole citrus or the juice derived therefrom may be strongly felt. Furthermore, the sweetness of juices including fruit and vegetable juices such as orange juice is strongly felt, and the aftertaste may be deteriorated.

Therefore, the swallowing agent of the present invention improves the sweetness by masking not only the processed starch which has been pregelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking but also the strongly felt unpleasant components by the addition of sugar alcohol. At the same time, the effect of improving the aftertaste is added, and the taste balance and refreshing feeling of the original beverage are not lost. In addition, sugar alcohol has a non-feeling property that is not used by bacteria in the oral cavity, and therefore has little effect on teeth.

As described above, the problem of taste is solved by the addition of sugar alcohol, but the addition of sugar alcohol causes a new problem that the viscosity decreases with time. To compensate for this, the swallowing aid according to the present invention suppresses the time-dependent decrease in viscosity by adding an appropriate amount of water-soluble dietary fiber in addition to the pregelatinized starch and sugar alcohol after crosslinking with phosphoric acid. Then, the viscosity required as a swallowing aid is maintained so as to obtain a good taste effect.

In short, the swallowing adjuvant according to the present invention synergistically maintains the viscosity by mixing the three components of processed starch, sugar alcohol and water-soluble dietary fiber which have been pregelatinized after phosphoric acid cross-linking. It is an attempt to improve. In addition, since the water-soluble dietary fiber also has an intestinal function, an effect from this point can be expected.

(Examples) Specific examples of the swallowing aid according to the present invention will be described below. The processed starch gelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking used in the present invention uses the processed starch gelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking by a conventional method. The sugar alcohol and the water-soluble dietary fiber described below are mixed well in an appropriate mixing ratio, and granulated, dried or granulated by a fluidized bed granulation method according to a conventional method.

Examples of the sugar alcohol used in the present invention include erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol and the like.
Species may be used, or two or more may be used in combination. This compounding amount is in the range of 0.01 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.4 to 5.0% by weight, based on the weight of the powder composition due to its action.

Further, the water-soluble dietary fiber of the present invention comprises
Indigestible starch is used, and specifically, for example, indigestible dextrin, corn fiber, guar gum and the like are used. Based on the weight of the powder composition, 0.01 to the extent that these do not change the properties of the viscosity of the swallowing aid, the expression, etc.
10 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 8%
Add within the range.

Difficult-to-digest dextrins are dextrins which are decolorized and deodorized by a roasting step, unlike ordinary dextrins, and are water-soluble dietary fibers which are not decomposed by various amylases. Therefore, the use of general dextrins is aimed at improving dispersibility and solubility, whereas indigestible dextrins are used for improving the viscosity because they have high viscosity.

As other components, vitamins, minerals, and the like, if desired, do not affect the viscosity.
Tastes such as oligosaccharides and fruit juices and flavor components such as coffee powder, cocoa powder and matcha powder can be added as appropriate.

The swallowing aid of the present invention can exhibit a thickening effect in a short time by dissolving a small amount in a beverage, maintain a constant viscosity for a long time, and easily swallow without impairing the flavor of food. In addition, when added to a liquid food, it is possible to impart an appropriate viscosity by adjusting the amount of addition according to the type of food, the degree of the swallowing function, the physical condition of the individual, and the like.

The swallowing aid of the present invention can be provided not only as a drink but also as a meal having shape retention properties by pulverizing solid substances such as a mixer meal to make it easier to eat, or by increasing the amount of addition to form a paste. It is possible to

(Test Example) In order to confirm the effect of the present invention, a test was conducted on an example of the present invention together with a comparative example. The test method and test results will be described in detail.

<Test Example 1> The change in the viscosity of the aqueous solution depending on the blending ratio of the processed starch, erythritol, and water-soluble dietary fiber which were pregelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking was tested. (1) Test method Test article of the present invention The processed starch, erythritol, and indigestible dextrin pregelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking were blended in a ratio of 10: 0: 0 (formulation A) and 9: 1: 0 (formulation B). 9: 0.5: 0.5 (formulation C), 8: 1: 1 (formulation D), granulation by a conventional method,
The mixture was dried and sized to form the mixture of the present invention. Test Method A 4% aqueous solution of each mixture was prepared, and the change in viscosity was examined. The viscosity was measured at 20 ° C. using a rotational viscometer. (2) The test results were as shown in Table 1 below.

[0039]

[Table 1]

As is evident from the results, when the added amount of the sugar alcohol and the indigestible dextrin exceeded 20%, the standard value of the food for elderly people, "food for people with difficulty in chewing and swallowing," was significantly lower.

<Test Example 2> Next, 3 g of each compound was added to 100 ml of orange juice, and a sensory test was conducted for solubility, taste, aroma, bitterness, and ease of swallowing of the orange juice. The results were as shown in Table 2.

[0042]

[Table 2]

<Test Example 3> A test was conducted on the effect of the mixture of the present invention (referred to as Invention Formulation E) and the commercial products 1 and 2 on the viscosity. (1) Test Method Inventive Formulation E Inventive Formulation E was prepared by subjecting a mixture containing the following components to granulation and drying using a fluidized-bed granulator / dryer, and sizing the resulting mixture. Swallowing agent of the invention) was obtained. Modified starch 1000 g pre-gelatinized after phosphoric acid cross-linking 1000 g Erythritol 20 g Indigestible dextrin 50 g Isomaltooligosaccharide 20 g Comparative commercial product 1, 2 Commercial swallowing aid tromelin (manufactured by Sanwa Chemical Laboratory Co., Ltd .; hereinafter, commercial product 1); A 4% aqueous solution of Chic & Easy (Dodwell Co., hereinafter referred to as commercial product 2) was prepared, and the viscosity of each aqueous solution was measured. (2) Test method and results Viscosity test A 4% aqueous solution of invention product formulation E, commercially available product 1, and commercially available product 2 was prepared, and a solution obtained after dissolution at 20 ° C. for 30 minutes was measured with a rotational viscometer. Table 3 shows the results.

[0044]

[Table 3]

According to the test results, the invention product E was
High viscosity was exhibited at low concentration.

Viscosity Change Test The change in viscosity of the invention product E over time was measured with a rotational viscometer. The results are shown in Table 4 below.

[0047]

[Table 4]

According to the test results, it was found that a stable viscosity was obtained 5 minutes after the dissolution, and the viscosity did not change even after 1 hour, and a good thickening effect was obtained.

Test of characteristics as swallowing food etc. Formulation E of the invention was prepared in the form of 4 g per 100 ml of cold barley tea.
Was added to 4.8 g per 100 ml, and commercially available product 2 was added in an amount of 5 g. Since the viscosity greatly affected the ease of swallowing and the feeling of stickiness, the amounts were each changed so that the viscosity became equal. The subjects performed a sensory test on nine medical workers who are performing rehabilitation for people with dysphagia. In the sensory test, in addition to the food color, gloss, aroma and the original taste of the food, five items that are preferable for each item are as follows: swallow food characteristics, ease of swallowing, residual feeling, stickiness, and texture. The evaluation was performed according to the scoring method. Table 5 shows the results of the average value of each item.

[0050]

[Table 5]

As a result, Formulation E of the invention was excellent in the appearance of food, and had little residual feeling and stickiness in the oral cavity. It exerts a good effect without impairing the original taste of food.

Although the embodiments of the swallowing aid according to the present invention have been described based on the embodiments, the invention is not limited to such embodiments, but may be applied within the technical scope described in the claims. It goes without saying that there are various embodiments.

[0053]

According to the swallowing aid according to the present invention having the above-mentioned constitution, the viscosity can be obtained very easily only by adding an appropriate amount of the swallowing aid to the liquid food and mixing. It is extremely useful for patients with disabilities and the elderly to safely consume food.

Further, the swallowing aid of the present invention has a thickening effect higher than that of conventional food thickeners, and is not only easily dissolved and readily obtains a stable viscosity, but also has the taste of the original food. It has no good effect on odor and fragrance, and has good characteristics with little adhesion in the oral cavity.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) A61K 47/36 A61K 47/36 // A23L 2/52 A23L 2/00 E (72) Inventor Hiroshi Ide Ibaraki 3-3 Midorigahara, Tsukuba-shi, Japan F-term in the Central Research Laboratories of Nippon Ham Co., Ltd. 4B017 LC02 LK12 LK13 LL04 4B018 LB08 MD32 MD34 MD36 MD37 MD47 ME14 4C076 AA12 BB01 CC40 DD38 EE30 EE38 EE58 FF17 FF52 FF68 FF70

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A swallowing agent characterized in that it is a mixture containing a processed starch pregelatinized after phosphoric acid crosslinking and a sugar alcohol and a water-soluble dietary fiber as a main component. 2. The swallowing agent according to claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol is one or a combination of two or more of erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, lactitol and reduced palatinose. 3. The compounding amount of the sugar alcohol is 0.01 to 10% by weight of the powder composition, preferably 0.4 to 5.
3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the amount is in the range of 0% by weight.
The swallowing agent according to the above. 4. The swallowing agent according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble dietary fiber comprises one or a combination of two or more of indigestible dextrin, corn fiber and guar gum decomposition product. . 5. The amount of the water-soluble dietary fiber is 0.01 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight of the powder composition.
2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the amount is in the range of 8.0% by weight.
The swallowing agent according to 2, 3 or 4. 6. The above mixture is added to give 1500 mP
The swallowing aid according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, wherein a viscosity of at least a · s is imparted, and the original taste and aroma of the food are not impaired and the aftertaste is not deteriorated.