抄録
This study was performed to evaluate the effect of agar containing jelly on human bowel habits. One g of agar was added to make a cup of 120 g of jelly. As a control, jelly which was made by same method, agar in stead of gelatin was used. Twenty four healthy adults and 21 female college students ingested from 1 to 3 cups of jelly per day considering degrees of constipation. In the healthy adults group, frequency of defecation and fecal volume were increased by the agar-agar jelly (3 cups/day) ingestion compared with non-ingestion period or the control period of a cup of gelatin jelly given (p>0.01). Furthermore the agar effects which stimulates the defecation were observed in the healthy female college students. Other bowel habits (smell, hardness and shape) were also improved in the agar-ingestion period compared with the non-ingestion period. Although some subjects were recognized abdomen symptoms by the agar-excess intake (9 cups/;day), the symptoms were disappeared after a short period. These results demonstrate that the ingestion of 3 cups of agar jelly containing 1 g of agar in a day promotes thedefecation in constipated subject and improves the fecal conditions
