JP2024070538A - BEVERAGES AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING THE SALTY TASTE OF BEVERAGES - Patent application - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a beverage containing sodium and alanine, in which the salty taste enhancing effect of alanine is suppressed. [Solution] To provide a beverage containing sodium, alanine, and glycine, in which the sodium content is 25 to 120 mg/100 mL, the alanine content is 25 to 180 mg/100 mL, and the glycine content is 12 to 200 mg/100 mL. [Selected Figure] None

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act has been filed. Published on October 20, 2022 at https://confit.atlas.jp/guide/event/jsaas2022/proceedings/list

The present invention relates to a novel beverage and a method for improving the saltiness of a beverage.

In recent years, the importance of hydration throughout the year has been widely recognized, such as to prevent heatstroke in summer, to prevent colds and dryness in winter, to prevent dehydration during sports, etc. Many beverages that are expected to help with hydration contain sodium.
On the other hand, alanine, a type of amino acid, has various nutritional functions and is known to be a component of sugar, which is the energy sent to the brain and muscles in the human body, as well as to be useful for protecting the liver and metabolizing alcohol.

Therefore, there is a need for beverages that contain alanine in addition to beverages that are expected to replenish fluids, in order to add the nutritional function of alanine. However, it is known that not only alanine, but also amino acids such as glycine and glutamic acid have a salty taste enhancing effect (Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-62778 A

When alanine is added to sodium-containing beverages in the hope of providing hydration and nutritional benefits, it has been found that not only does it enhance the saltiness, it also makes the beverage difficult to drink.

The present invention aims to provide a beverage containing sodium and alanine, in which the saltiness enhancing effect of alanine is suppressed. With this goal in mind, the inventors conducted extensive research and discovered that by further adding a specified amount of glycine to a beverage containing sodium and alanine, the saltiness enhancing effect of alanine can be suppressed and drinkability can be improved, thus completing the present invention.

The present invention provides a beverage containing sodium and alanine, in which the saltiness enhancing effect of alanine is suppressed, making the beverage easy to drink. The present invention also provides a method for improving the saltiness of a beverage.

The present invention can provide the following beverages, etc.:

1. A beverage comprising sodium, alanine, and glycine,
The sodium content is 25 to 120 mg/100 mL;
The alanine content is 25 to 180 mg/100 mL,
The beverage, wherein the glycine content is 12 to 200 mg/100 mL.
2. The beverage according to 1, wherein the sodium content and the alanine content satisfy the following formula (1):
0.50≦[the content of the alanine]/[the content of the sodium]≦10.0 (1)
3. The beverage according to 1 or 2, wherein the sodium content and the glycine content satisfy the following formula (2):
0.20≦[content of glycine]/[content of sodium]≦6.0 (2)
4. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 3, wherein the alanine content and the glycine content satisfy the following formula (3):
0.20≦[the content of glycine]/[the content of alanine]≦2.5... (3)
5. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 4, wherein the sodium is contained in the form of one or more selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, sodium malate, sodium sulfate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, sodium disulfide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, sodium alginate, sodium glucoheptanoate, sodium gluconate, sodium glutamate, sodium tartrate, sodium aspartate, sodium lactate, sodium caseinate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, and mixtures thereof.
6. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 5, which is suitable for rehydration.
7. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 6, which is a bottled beverage.
8. A method for improving the saltiness of a beverage, comprising adding glycine to a beverage containing sodium and alanine.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage that contains sodium and alanine, in which the effect of alanine in enhancing the saltiness is suppressed, making the beverage easy to drink. In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for improving the saltiness of a beverage.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the beverage and the like of the present invention will be described.
Herein, a preferred aspect of one feature may be combined in any manner with a preferred aspect of one or more other features.
In addition, in this specification, the description of "X to Y" indicating a numerical range means "X or more and Y or less," and for each parameter, the lower limit value and the upper limit value can be arbitrarily combined to form a numerical range.

[Beverages]
A beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the beverage of the present invention) is a beverage containing sodium, alanine, and glycine, and has a sodium content of 25 to 120 mg/100 mL, an alanine content of 25 to 180 mg/100 mL, and a glycine content of 12 to 200 mg/100 mL.
By having the above-mentioned composition, the beverage of the present invention can be expected to provide both hydration through sodium and nutritional functions through alanine, and furthermore, the effect of alanine in enhancing the salty taste is suppressed, making it an easy-to-drink beverage.

(sodium)
The beverage of the present invention contains sodium. In the living body, sodium maintains the volume of extracellular fluid and circulating blood while retaining moisture, and regulates blood pressure. It is known that in order to effectively hydrate the body, it is good to ingest a certain amount of sodium ions, and this is particularly effective in preventing heatstroke.

The sodium may be in the form of a free sodium ion or a salt commonly used in the beverage industry. One or more of these may be used.

Sodium can be added to the beverage, for example, in the form of a sodium salt.

The sodium salt is not particularly limited as long as it is a drinkable sodium salt, and examples thereof include chlorides, hydroxides, salts with malic acid, salts with citric acid, salts with phosphoric acid, salts with carbonates, sulfides, salts with bicarbonates, salts with alginic acid, salts with alginic acid, salts with glucoheptanoic acid, salts with gluconic acid, salts with glutamic acid, salts with tartaric acid, salts with aspartic acid, salts with lactic acid, salts with casein, salts with ascorbic acid, salts with benzoic acid, etc. These may be used alone or in combination.
The chloride includes, for example, sodium chloride.
Examples of salts with citric acid include disodium citrate and trisodium citrate.

Sodium is preferably contained in one or more forms selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, sodium malate, sodium sulfate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, sodium disulfide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, sodium alginate, sodium glucoheptanoate, sodium gluconate, sodium glutamate, sodium tartrate, sodium aspartate, sodium lactate, sodium caseinate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, and mixtures thereof, and is more preferably contained in the form of sodium chloride or trisodium citrate. When sodium is contained in two or more forms, the sodium content refers to the total of them.

The beverage of the present invention has a sodium content of 25 to 120 mg/100 mL based on the entire beverage. This means that effective hydration can be expected when ingesting the beverage.

The sodium content, based on the entire beverage, may be, for example, 26 mg/100 mL, 28 mg/100 mL, 30 mg/100 mL, 32 mg/100 mL, etc. at the lower limit, and 118 mg/100 mL, 115 mg/100 mL, 112 mg/100 mL, 110 mg/100 mL, 108 mg/100 mL, etc. at the upper limit.

The range of sodium content based on the entire beverage may be, for example, 26-118 mg/100 mL, 28-115 mg/100 mL, 30-112 mg/100 mL, 32-110 mg/100 mL, 32-108 mg/100 mL, etc.

The sodium content can be analyzed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Also, when it is formulated as a sodium salt, it can be calculated as the sodium element content.

(Alanine)
The beverage of the present invention contains alanine. In this specification, alanine refers to DL-alanine or L-alanine that are approved for use as food additives. The alanine may be in the form of a free alanine or a salt (sodium salt, potassium salt, etc.) that is commonly used in the beverage field. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

The beverage of the present invention has an alanine content of 25 to 180 mg/100 mL based on the entire beverage. This allows the nutritional function of alanine to be expected when the beverage is ingested.

The alanine content, based on the entire beverage, may be, for example, 26 mg/100 mL, 28 mg/100 mL, 30 mg/100 mL, etc. at the lower limit, and 170 mg/100 mL, 160 mg/100 mL, 155 mg/100 mL, etc. at the upper limit.

The range of alanine content based on the entire beverage may be, for example, 26 to 170 mg/100 mL, 28 to 160 mg/100 mL, 30 to 155 mg/100 mL, etc.

The alanine content can be analyzed using an amino acid analyzer.

(glycine)
The beverage of the present invention contains glycine. The glycine may be in the form of free glycine or a salt commonly used in the beverage field (sodium salt, potassium salt, etc.). These may be used alone or in combination.

The beverage of the present invention has a glycine content of 12 to 200 mg/100 mL based on the entire beverage. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of alanine in enhancing the saltiness, and to improve the drinkability of beverages containing sodium and alanine.

The glycine content, based on the entire beverage, may be, for example, 15 mg/100 mL, 18 mg/100 mL, 20 mg/100 mL, etc. at the lower limit, and 180 mg/100 mL, 170 mg/100 mL, 160 mg/100 mL, 150 mg/100 mL, 140 mg/100 mL, 130 mg/100 mL, 120 mg/100 mL, 110 mg/100 mL, 100 mg/100 mL, etc. at the upper limit.

The range of glycine content based on the entire beverage may be, for example, 15 to 180 mg/100 mL, 18 to 170 mg/100 mL, 20 to 160 mg/100 mL, etc.

The glycine content can be analyzed using an amino acid analyzer.

(Sodium to alanine content ratio)
In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention has a sodium content and an alanine content that satisfy the following formula (1).
0.50≦[Alanine content]/[Sodium content]≦10.0 (1)

The ratio of sodium to alanine content ([alanine content]/[sodium content]) may have a lower limit of, for example, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, etc., and an upper limit of, for example, 10.0, 8.5, 7.5, 6.5, 5.5, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, etc.

The ratio of sodium to alanine content may be, for example, 0.50 or more and 8.5 or less, 0.55 or more and 7.5 or less, 0.55 or more and 6.5 or less, 0.60 or more and 5.5 or less, 0.60 or more and 4.5 or less, 0.65 or more and 4.0 or less, 0.65 or more and 3.5 or less, etc.

(Sodium to glycine content ratio)
In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention has a sodium content and a glycine content that satisfy the following formula (2).
0.20≦[glycine content]/[sodium content]≦6.0 (2)

The ratio of sodium to glycine content ([glycine content]/[sodium content]) may have a lower limit of, for example, 0.20, 0.23, 0.25, 0.28, 0.30, 0.33, 0.35, 0.40, etc., and an upper limit of, for example, 6.0, 5.8, 5.5, 5.3, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, etc.

The ratio of sodium to glycine content may be, for example, 0.20 or more and 5.8 or less, 0.23 or more and 5.5 or less, 0.25 or more and 5.5 or less, 0.28 or more and 5.3 or less, 0.30 or more and 5.3 or less, 0.33 or more and 5.0 or less, 0.35 or more and 4.5 or less, etc.

(Alanine to glycine content ratio)
In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention has an alanine content and a glycine content that satisfy the following formula (3).
0.20≦[glycine content]/[alanine content]≦3.5... (3)

The ratio of alanine to glycine content ([glycine content]/[alanine content]) may have a lower limit of, for example, 0.10, 0.12, 0.15, 0.18, 0.20, 0.22, 0.25, 0.30, etc., and an upper limit of, for example, 5.0, 4.5, 4.2, 4.0, 3.8, 3.5, 3.2, 3.0, 2.8, 2.5, 2.2, 2.0, etc.

The alanine to glycine content ratio may be, for example, 0.10 to 5.0, 0.12 to 4.5, 0.15 to 4.2, 0.18 to 4.0, 0.20 to 3.8, 0.20 to 3.5, 0.20 to 3.0, 0.22 to 2.8, 0.25 to 2.5, 0.30 to 2.0, etc.

(Other ingredients)
In addition to the components described above, the beverage of the present invention may optionally contain components commonly used in beverages, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Optional components commonly used in beverages include antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, flavorings, colorants, esters, organic acids and their salts, inorganic acids and their salts, seasonings, sweeteners, acidulants, gums, oils, vitamins, amino acids, fruit juices, fruit extracts, vegetable extracts, flower extracts, sugars, milk, tea, tea extracts, etc. These optional components may be contained alone or in combination of two or more.

The beverage of the present invention is preferably suitable for hydration. Examples of beverages suitable for hydration include hypotonic beverages and isotonic beverages, but are not limited to these as long as they are beverages that can be expected to hydrate.

The beverage of the present invention may be a carbonated beverage or a non-carbonated beverage.
Carbonated beverages include, but are not limited to, enhanced sparkling beverages, cola, lemon-lime flavored sparkling beverages, orange flavored sparkling beverages, grape flavored sparkling beverages, strawberry flavored sparkling beverages, pineapple flavored sparkling beverages, ginger ale, soft drinks, and root beer.
Non-carbonated beverages include, but are not limited to, fruit juices, fruit-flavored juices, juice drinks, nectars, vegetable juices, vegetable-flavored juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, fortified drinking waters, vitamin-fortified waters, near-water beverages (e.g., waters containing natural or synthetic flavors), coconut water, tea-type beverages (e.g., black tea, green tea, oolong tea, white tea, yellow tea, black tea, flower teas, non-tea (e.g., barley tea, rooibos tea, herbal tea)), coffee, cocoa drinks, beverages containing dairy ingredients (e.g., dairy beverages, dairy-containing coffee, cafe au lait, milk tea, fruit milk beverages), beverages containing cereal extracts, smoothies, jelly beverages, and combinations thereof.

The beverage of the present invention may be in a form filled in a container, that is, a bottled beverage.
In the present invention, the container may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. The capacity to be filled is not particularly limited.
Specific examples of containers include, but are not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers (e.g., plastic bottles), cans, aluminum pouches, paper containers, plastic cups, bottles, etc., with PET containers being preferred.

[Method of improving the saltiness of beverages]
A method for improving the saltiness of a beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that glycine is added to a beverage containing sodium and alanine. The characteristics of sodium, alanine, glycine, and their contents can be applied to the beverage of the present invention.

The present invention will be described in detail below with specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

The raw materials used in the examples and comparative examples are as follows.
・Glycine: Showa Denko K.K. ・Alanine: "DL-alanine" manufactured by Musashino Chemical Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Leucine, isoleucine, valine: Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Fructose glucose liquid sugar: Kato Kagaku Co., Ltd. Flavoring (grape flavor, grapefruit flavor, lemon flavor): Givaudan Japan Co., Ltd. Emulsified flavoring: San-ei Gen F.F.I. Roasted barley, blended tea ingredients: Kotani Grain Flour Co., Ltd. Sodium chloride (Na chloride), trisodium citrate (Na citrate), potassium chloride, sodium lactate, magnesium sulfate, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, grape skin color, salt, and caramel were commercially available and commonly used. RO water was used as water.

Comparative Examples 1 to 8
[Preparation of test beverages]
Four types of aqueous solutions (Liquid A1, Liquid B1, Liquid C1, and Liquid D1) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 1. These four types of aqueous solutions were mixed according to the compositions shown in Table 2 to prepare test beverages.

[sensory evaluation]
The prepared test beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation for "saltiness" by three experienced panelists. "Saltiness" was scored on a 7-point scale ranging from 0 to 6 points in increments of 1 point, and the average score of the three panelists was rounded off to one decimal place to calculate the saltiness.
In the sensory evaluation, the panelists were made to agree on the degree to which the "strength of saltiness" should change in order to raise or lower the score by one point.
The results are shown in Table 2.

As can be seen from Table 2, when the sodium content was kept constant, the higher the alanine content, the stronger the saltiness.

Comparative Examples 9 to 15
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 3. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3 together with those of Comparative Example 1.

As can be seen from Table 3, when the sodium content was kept constant, the higher the glycine content, the stronger the saltiness.

Examples 1 to 3
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 4. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 4 together with Comparative Examples 1 and 4.

As can be seen from Table 4, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine suppressed the enhancement of saltiness caused by alanine compared to Comparative Example 4.

Examples 4 to 7
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 5. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 5 together with Comparative Examples 1 and 5.

As can be seen from Table 5, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine suppressed the enhancement of saltiness caused by alanine compared to Comparative Example 5.

Examples 8 to 9
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 6. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 6 together with Comparative Examples 1 and 6.

As can be seen from Table 6, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine suppressed the enhancement of saltiness caused by alanine compared to Comparative Example 6.

Examples 10 to 11
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 7. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 7 together with Comparative Examples 1 and 7.

As can be seen from Table 7, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine suppressed the enhancement of saltiness caused by alanine compared to Comparative Example 7.

Comparative Examples 16 to 23
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 8. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 8 together with those of Comparative Example 1.

As can be seen from Table 8, in Comparative Examples 16 to 23, it was not possible to confirm that the enhancement of saltiness was suppressed.

Comparative Examples 24 to 31
[Preparation of test beverages]
Four types of aqueous solutions (liquid A2, liquid B2, liquid C2, and liquid D2) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 9. As can be seen from Table 9, A2 is water.

Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 10. The test beverages prepared were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 10.

As can be seen from Table 10, the higher the sodium content, the stronger the saltiness.

Comparative Examples 32 and 33
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 11. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 11 together with those of Comparative Example 25.

As can be seen from Table 11, when the sodium content was 11 mg/100 mL, the addition of alanine did not change the intensity of the saltiness, and the addition of glycine did not change the intensity of the saltiness.

Comparative Examples 34 and 35
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 12. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 12 together with those of Comparative Example 26.

As can be seen from Table 12, when the sodium content was 22 mg/100 mL, the addition of alanine did not change the intensity of the saltiness, and the addition of glycine did not change the intensity of the saltiness.

Example 12, Comparative Example 36
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 13. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 13 together with those of Comparative Example 27.

As can be seen from Table 13, when the sodium content was 32 mg/100 mL, Comparative Example 36 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine had an enhanced salty taste compared to Comparative Example 27 not containing alanine.
In contrast, in Example 12 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine and 75 mg/100 mL of glycine, the increase in saltiness was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 36.

Example 13, Comparative Example 37
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 14. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 14 together with those of Comparative Example 28.

As can be seen from Table 14, when the sodium content was 54 mg/100 mL, Comparative Example 37 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine had an enhanced salty taste compared to Comparative Example 28 not containing alanine.
In contrast, in Example 13 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine and 75 mg/100 mL of glycine, the increase in saltiness was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 37.

Example 14, Comparative Example 38
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 15. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 15 together with those of Comparative Example 29.

As can be seen from Table 15, when the sodium content was 86 mg/100 mL, Comparative Example 38 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine had an enhanced salty taste compared to Comparative Example 29 not containing alanine.
In contrast, in Example 14 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine and 75 mg/100 mL of glycine, the increase in saltiness was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 38.

Example 15, Comparative Example 39
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 16. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 16 together with those of Comparative Example 30.

As can be seen from Table 16, when the sodium content was 108 mg/100 mL, Comparative Example 39 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine had an enhanced salty taste compared to Comparative Example 30 not containing alanine.
In contrast, in Example 15 containing 100 mg/100 mL of alanine and 75 mg/100 mL of glycine, the increase in saltiness was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 39.

Comparative Examples 40 to 44, Example 16
[Preparation of test beverages]
Six types of aqueous solutions (solutions A3, B3, C3, D3, E3, and F3) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 17.

Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 18. The saltiness of the test beverages thus prepared was evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 18.

As can be seen from Table 18, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of 100 mg/100 mL of alanine enhanced the saltiness.
When valine, leucine, or isoleucine was contained at 20 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness by alanine was not suppressed as compared to Comparative Example 41.
In contrast, when glycine was contained at 20 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness due to alanine was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.

Comparative Examples 45 to 47, Example 17
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 19. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 16. The results are shown in Table 19 together with those of Comparative Examples 40 and 41.

As can be seen from Table 19, when valine, leucine, or isoleucine was contained at 30 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness by alanine was not suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.
In contrast, when glycine was contained at 30 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness due to alanine was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.

Comparative Examples 48 to 50, Example 18
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 20. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 16. The results are shown in Table 20 together with those of Comparative Examples 40 and 41.

As can be seen from Table 20, when valine, leucine, or isoleucine was contained at 50 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness by alanine was not suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.
In contrast, when 50 mg/100 mL of glycine was contained in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness due to alanine was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.

Comparative Examples 51 to 53, Example 19
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 21. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 16. The results are shown in Table 21 together with those of Comparative Examples 40 and 41.

As can be seen from Table 21, when valine, leucine, or isoleucine was contained at 100 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness by alanine was not suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.
In contrast, when 100 mg/100 mL of glycine was contained in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness due to alanine was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.

Comparative Examples 54 to 56, Example 20
Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 22. The prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 16. The results are shown in Table 22 together with those of Comparative Examples 40 and 41.

As can be seen from Table 22, when valine, leucine, or isoleucine was contained at 150 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness by alanine was not suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.
In contrast, when glycine was contained at 150 mg/100 mL in addition to alanine, the enhancement of saltiness due to alanine was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 41.

Examples 101 to 105, Comparative Examples 101 to 102
[Preparation of test grape-flavored sparkling beverages]
The ingredients were mixed according to the composition shown in Table 23, and then carbon dioxide was dissolved in a carbonator to give a total volume of 3.2 gas to prepare base beverage A100.

Three types of solutions (A101 solution, B101 solution, and C101 solution) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 24. After mixing the ingredients, each solution was diluted with base beverage A100.

Each solution was mixed according to the formula shown in Table 25, and filled into a PET container to prepare a bottled test beverage. The saltiness of the prepared test beverage was evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. In addition, the drinkability was evaluated as follows. The results are shown in Table 25.

[Sensory evaluation of drinkability]
The prepared test beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation for "drinkability" by three expert panelists. "Drinkability" was scored on a five-point scale ranging from 1 to 5 points in increments of 1 point, and the average score of the three panelists was calculated by rounding off to the nearest integer.
In the sensory evaluation, the panelists were made to agree on the degree to which "drinkability" should change in order to raise or lower the score by one point.

As can be seen from Table 25, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine suppressed the increase in saltiness caused by alanine compared to Comparative Example 102, improving the drinkability of the grape-flavored sparkling beverage.

Examples 106 to 111, Comparative Examples 103 to 104
[Preparation of test sports drinks]
The ingredients were mixed according to the composition shown in Table 26 to prepare base beverage B100.

Three types of solutions (solution A102, solution B102, and solution C102) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 27. After mixing the ingredients, each solution was diluted with base beverage B100. Solution A102 is base beverage B100.

Each solution was mixed according to the formula shown in Table 28, and filled into a PET container to prepare a bottled test beverage. The drinkability of the prepared test beverage was evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 101. The results are shown in Table 28.

As can be seen from Table 28, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine suppressed the increase in saltiness caused by alanine compared to Comparative Example 104, improving the drinkability of the sports drink.

Examples 112 to 117, Comparative Examples 105 to 106
[Preparation of zero-calorie test beverages]
The ingredients were mixed according to the composition shown in Table 29 to prepare base beverage C100.

Three types of solutions (solution A103, solution B103, and solution C103) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 30. After mixing the ingredients, each solution was diluted with base beverage C100. Solution A103 is base beverage C100.

Each solution was mixed according to the formula shown in Table 31 and filled into a PET container to prepare a bottled test beverage. The test beverage thus prepared was evaluated for saltiness and drinkability in the same manner as in Comparative Example 101. The results are shown in Table 31.

As can be seen from Table 31, when the sodium content was kept constant, the inclusion of a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine suppressed the increase in saltiness caused by alanine compared to Comparative Example 106, improving the drinkability of the zero-calorie beverage.

Examples 118 to 122, Comparative Examples 107 to 108
[Preparation of test barley tea beverage]
Extraction was performed for 40 minutes using 300 g of RO water at 95° C. per 20 g of roasted barley. The extract was roughly filtered through a stainless steel mesh (80 mesh), cooled to 25° C., and filtered through a stainless steel mesh (300 mesh). The extract was then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 minutes to remove the precipitate, and the barley tea extract was used as base beverage D100.

Three types of solutions (solution A104, solution B104, and solution C104) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 32. Each solution was prepared by mixing the ingredients with base beverage D100, adding 300 ppm of ascorbic acid, adjusting the pH to 6.4 with sodium bicarbonate, and diluting to 2 L with RO water. Each solution was UHT sterilized at 137°C for 30 seconds, cooled to 30°C, and filled into PET bottles in a sterile environment and then sealed with a plastic cap.

Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 33. The saltiness and drinkability of the prepared test beverages were evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 101. The results are shown in Table 33.

As can be seen from Table 33, when the sodium content was kept constant, by including a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine, the saltiness was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 108, and the ease of drinking the barley tea beverage was improved.
In addition, when comparing Comparative Example 107 and Comparative Example 108, the saltiness enhancing effect of alanine was not observed, but this may be due to the influence of various components contained in barley tea. Even in the presence of such components, the saltiness suppression effect of glycine and the improvement of drinkability of the beverage were confirmed.

Examples 123 to 127, Comparative Examples 109 to 110
[Preparation of test blended tea beverages]
Extraction was performed for 40 minutes using 375 g of RO water at 85°C per 25 g of blended tea ingredients. The extract was roughly filtered through a stainless steel mesh (80 mesh), cooled to 25°C, and filtered through a stainless steel mesh (300 mesh). Then, centrifugation was performed at 3000 rpm for 5 minutes to remove precipitates. This blended tea extract was used as base beverage E100.

Three types of solutions (A105 solution, B105 solution, and C105 solution) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 34. Each solution was prepared by mixing the ingredients with base beverage E100, adding 300 ppm ascorbic acid, adjusting the pH to 6.4 with sodium bicarbonate, and diluting to 2 L with RO water. Each solution was UHT sterilized at 137°C for 30 seconds, cooled to 30°C, filled into PET bottles in a sterile environment, and then sealed with a plastic cap.

Test beverages were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 35. The test beverages thus prepared were evaluated for saltiness and drinkability in the same manner as in Comparative Example 101. The results are shown in Table 35.

As can be seen from Table 35, when the sodium content was kept constant, by including a certain amount of glycine in addition to alanine, the saltiness was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 110, and the drinkability of the blended tea beverage was improved.
In addition, when comparing Comparative Example 109 and Comparative Example 110, the saltiness enhancing effect of alanine was not observed, but this may be due to the influence of various components contained in the blended tea. Even in the presence of such components, the saltiness suppression effect of glycine and the improvement of drinkability of the beverage were confirmed.

Claims (8)

A beverage comprising sodium, alanine, and glycine,
The sodium content is 25 to 120 mg/100 mL;
The alanine content is 25 to 180 mg/100 mL,
The beverage, wherein the glycine content is 12 to 200 mg/100 mL. The beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the sodium content and the alanine content satisfy the following formula (1):
0.50≦[the content of the alanine]/[the content of the sodium]≦10.0 (1) The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sodium content and the glycine content satisfy the following formula (2):
0.20≦[content of glycine]/[content of sodium]≦6.0 (2) The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the alanine content and the glycine content satisfy the following formula (3):
0.20≦[the content of glycine]/[the content of alanine]≦3.5... (3) The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sodium is contained in one or more forms selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, sodium malate, sodium sulfate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, sodium disulfide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, sodium alginate, sodium glucoheptanoate, sodium gluconate, sodium glutamate, sodium tartrate, sodium aspartate, sodium lactate, sodium caseinate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, and mixtures thereof. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is suitable for rehydration. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a bottled beverage. A method for improving the saltiness of a beverage comprising adding glycine to a beverage containing sodium and alanine.