JP2002058452A - Calcium-containing food composition having bone density- improving function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a calcium-containing food composition capable of improving the absorption of calcium into the user's body, and thereby capable of improving the user's bone density. SOLUTION: This calcium-containing food composition having bone density- improving function contains a calcium salt and is obtained by formulating both of chondroitin and isoflavone; thereby the synergistic effect of chondroitin and isoflavone promotes absorption of the calcium taken into the user's body and remarkably increases the user's bone density.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a calcium composition having a bone density improving function, and more particularly to a calcium composition having a bone density improving function containing chondroitin and isoflavone in combination with calcium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Calcium ingested in a diet is a main component of so-called bone calcium and is a kind of electrolyte ion indispensable for physiology and metabolism in blood and the like. The required daily calcium intake is about 600 mg, but the current average calcium intake is considered to be below this value. Calcium deficiency is thought to be closely linked to the progression of osteoporosis and periodontal disease, and reduced concentration and emotional instability in children are also due to calcium deficiency associated with changes in dietary content Some have pointed out that.

[0003] In order to compensate for the deficiency of calcium intake, so-called health foods, functional foods and various supplements containing fortified and modified calcium have been provided. It has been discovered that the addition of sulfuric acid significantly increases the absorption of calcium into the body (intestinal absorption rate), and has already filed an application for an easily absorbable calcium composition containing such chondroitin sulfate (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9 (1998)). No. 4723).

[0004] The easily absorbable calcium composition described in the above-mentioned literature is already in the stage of practical use and has been accumulating results. However, the present inventors have further researched and developed the same and promoted the calcium absorption property of chondroitin. In addition, in particular, after calcium ingested migrated from the intestinal tract into the blood, a means was surely absorbed and fixed as bone calcium, which ultimately led to an increase in bone density.

[0005] The use of chondroitin in the intake of calcium significantly increases the intestinal absorption rate as described above, but in this experiment and research, it was discovered that bone mineral density was also increased accordingly. . Here, the present inventor has found that in this case, by further adding isoflavone to the calcium composition containing chondroitin, the rate of increase in the bone density is further remarkably improved.

[0006] Isoflavones are obtained as, for example, genistein, daidzein and their glycosides from soybean seeds such as legumes, and there are many reports on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis of soy isoflavones. Isoflavones are said to suppress osteoclasts and reduce the rate of bone degeneration by their estrogenic effect.

In the above invention, the amount of chondroitin based on calcium is preferably in the range of 0.2 to 5% by weight, and even if chondroitin is added beyond this upper limit, the intestinal absorption rate is conversely reduced. Has been confirmed by. On the other hand, isoflavones have the effect of suppressing the outflow of calcium from the formed bone tissue, but are not known to improve calcium absorption by themselves. Although the absorption and efflux inhibition of calcium and the relationship between them are not always clear, the present inventors have studied chondroitin which improves calcium absorption and isoflavone which inhibits the destruction or efflux of calcium once bone tissue is formed. As a result of conducting an experiment in which these were combined and added to calcium as a result, chondroitin,
It has been invented that the bone density is significantly increased as compared with the case where isoflavone is used alone.

[0008]

The object of the present invention is attained by a calcium-containing food composition having a function of improving bone density, comprising a calcium salt comprising chondroitin and isoflavone.

[0009] The addition of chondroitin to calcium in the present invention already shows an effect of improving absorption even in a small amount, but is preferably in the range of 0.2 to 5% by weight, and when it exceeds 5% by weight, the effect is reduced. On the other hand, isoflavone is ingested in a dose suitable for the purpose, and although this amount varies depending on the daily diet, it is desirable that adults supply at least about 10 mg / day, preferably about 20 mg / day, while No further significant effects are observed upon ingestion.

[0010] As shown in the experimental examples described later, the reason why the increase rate of the bone density obtained by the preferable isoflavone intake of 20 mg / day is remarkably increased by the combined use of chondroitin sulfate is not necessarily clear, but it is not clear. It is thought to be due to some synergy between chondroitin and isoflavone, which are presumed to have different mechanisms of action with respect to formation and maintenance, resulting from simultaneous incorporation into calcium.

[0011] Chondroitin in the calcium composition of the present invention is a sulfomcopolysaccharide widely found in the animal kingdom, and includes hyalurosulfate, keratosulfate, and the like belonging to the same polysaccharide.
Heparin and the like have the same effect as chondroitin. The preferred amount of chondroitin sulfate is 0.1 to 5% by weight. A common example of isoflavones is soy isoflavones, whose effective dose for increasing bone density is about 20 mg / day.

Since chondroitin and isoflavone are used for improving the absorption of bone calcium, it is preferable to use the chondroitin and isoflavone in combination with calcium itself as an actual form of ingestion. A salt form such as an inorganic salt such as calcium carbonate or a calcium salt of an organic acid such as acetic acid, L-lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid or ascorbic acid is preferred. In an actual calcium composition, it is preferable to use these together with vitamins, sweeteners and flavors to make them multifunctional and easy to ingest.

[0013]

EXAMPLES The effects of the above-mentioned chondroitin and isoflavone in the calcium composition of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the following examples.

Experimental Example In order to actually evaluate the effect of chondroitin and isoflavone on increasing the bone mass of calcium, a feed containing a calcium composition containing no calcium or a calcium composition containing each alone or in combination was prepared. Rats were bred and their bone density was measured.

-Experimental materials (feed)-(1) Oriental A diet modified low calcium feed (low calcium feed) (2) Oriental standard A compounded feed (feed containing a standard amount of calcium) (3) Isoflavone feed: Oriental 0.52 kg of isoflavone is added to 5.6 kg of standard A-containing feed (isoflavone-containing material: equivalent to about 20 mg). (4) Isoflavone / calcium carbonate feed;
kg (Ca: 40%) and 0.528 kg of isoflavone
(5) Unical feed: Oriental standard A-containing feed
To 68 kg, 2.0 kg of Unical (registered trademark) (natural calcium salt containing 1% by weight of chondroitin) is added. (6) Chondroitin / isoflavone feed: 5.6 kg of Oriental standard A-containing feed is added to Unical (registered). 2.0 kg of brand name and 0.528 kg of isoflavone were added.

-Experimental materials (animals)-Forty WISTAR male rats, 5 weeks old, are randomly divided into 5 groups. (i) Control group: After raising for 3 weeks with low calcium feed (1) and distilled water, switch to standard feed (2) and raise for 3 weeks. (ii) Isoflavone group: After raising for 3 weeks on low calcium feed (1) and distilled water, switching to isoflavone feed (3) 3
Keep for a week. (iii) Isoflavone + calcium carbonate group: rearing for 3 weeks on low calcium feed (1) and distilled water, switching to isoflavone + calcium carbonate feed 4) and rearing for 3 weeks. (iv) Chondroitin: 3 with low calcium feed and distilled water
After breeding for a week, switch to chondroitin diet and breed for 3 weeks. (v) Chondroitin / isoflavone group: After raising for 3 weeks on low calcium diet (1) and distilled water, switch to chondroitin / isoflavone diet (6) and rear for 3 weeks.

[0017]

[Table 1] Each group (i) to (v) has a low calcium feed (1)
After breeding for 3 weeks, the animals were bred for 3 weeks with each of the feeds (2) to (6).

-Inspection method (measurement of bone density)-Using a soft X-ray image, the concentration at each measurement site (the tibia) was compared with an aluminum equivalent standard value and converted into a numerical value. The results of the measurement are shown in Table 2 below, with the average value of 10 animals in each group as the numerical value in the case of the target group as 100.

[0019]

[Table 2]

As shown in Table 2, the increase in the tibia (bone density) was 113.8% for isoflavone alone and 119.7% for chondroitin alone in the case of isoflavone + calcium carbonate, compared to 100 in the control group. 12 in case
0.5 and about 14% and 20% increase, respectively. Especially when the isoflavone and chondroitin were combined, the value was 127.9, and the effect of increasing bone density was 28% higher than that of the control group. did.

-Example of use-According to the results of the above-mentioned experimental examples, a significant increase in bone mass was observed by mixing chondroitin and osteoporosis with calcium, and calcium was effectively taken for these purposes. For this purpose, the following composition was prepared.

Application example 1 After weighing and mixing the raw materials of the above composition, the mixture is tableted and averaged 8
sieved to a particle size of 1 mm
Per unit, the content of chondroitin sulfate was 1% by weight, and the content of isoflavone was 21 mg / 4 tablets.

Application Example 2: Granules After weighing the raw material of the above composition, pulverizing and granulating, an average of about 1 mm
Was sieved to a particle size of, and magnetized to obtain a product. The content of chondroitin sulfate was the same as in Application Example 1, and the content of isoflavone was 15 mg / 7.5 g.

[0024]

The calcium composition of the present invention contains chondroitin in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on calcium,
Furthermore, since isoflavones effective in improving bone density are blended in an effective amount (for example, 10 to 20 mg),
Calcium can be effectively absorbed into the body, and in particular, bone density can be significantly increased as compared with the case of using isoflavone alone.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A calcium-containing food composition having a bone density-improving function, comprising a calcium salt comprising chondroitin and isoflavone. 2. The calcium-containing food composition having a bone density improving function according to claim 1, wherein 0.2 to 5% by weight of chondroitin sulfate based on calcium and an effective amount of isoflavone are added to calcium. 3. The calcium-containing composition according to claim 1, wherein calcium as a standard of the composition is selected from the group consisting of L-lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, gluconic acid, L-ascorbic acid and acetic acid. Food composition. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said calcium composition contains 10 to 40 mg of isoflavone for a predetermined dose.
The calcium-containing food composition according to the above.