Rare sugars are monosaccharides that are rarely found in nature. The anti-obesity effect of the rare sugar ᴅ-allulose has already been clarified by many studies. Sweetspire (Itea) contains a large amount of the rare sugars ᴅ-allulose and allitol. However, no previous studies have examined the functionality of sweetspire itself. In the present study, we examined the effect of dietary dried sweetspire powder on body fat accumulation in rats. Sixteen male Wistar rats (3-week-old) were fed a control diet or a diet containing 5％ dried sweetspire powder for eight weeks ad libitum. Weight gain, food intake, and food efficiency did not differ between the groups. Carcass fat weight and total body fat weight were significantly lower in rats fed the sweetspire diet than in those fed the control diet. These results suggest that dried sweetspire has an anti-obesity effect similar to ᴅ-allulose in rats.

This study aimed to clarify the influence of revision of the Food Composition Database in Japan on estimated nutrient intakes, those estimated from the 6th revised edition were compared with those estimated from the 7th revised Supplementary edition 2018. Nutrient intakes were estimated using one-day food intake data from 625 participants in Hokkaido and Tokyo. The nutrient profile of food intakes was calculated using two editions of the Japanese Standard Food Composition Tables (6th revised edition and 7th revised Supplementary edition 2018). The differences in the Food Composition Tables were responsible for significant differences in nutrient intakes excluding carbohydrates. Total dietary fiber intake, for which values had been updated, was significantly impacted.The intake value for the 7th revised Supplementary edition 2018 was 3.0 g (23.2％), being higher than the intake value for the 6th revised edition. Evaluation of the total dietary fiber intake in the population to which Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2020 edition) had been applied was also affected by the difference. These results suggest that it is necessary to check the edition of the Food Composition Table used for the calculation and the method used for the analysis when evaluating the dietary fiber intake status from dietary surveys.