The Journal of the Kyushu Dental Society

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Although Japan has the world's longest life expectancy, a gap of about 10 years exists between “average life expectancy” and “healthy life expectancy”. This means that many of the nation's citizens end their lives after several years of declining quality of life due to health problems and the need for nursing care in their later years. Osteoporosis and sarcopenia (weakening of skeletal muscles) cause the need for support and care, and can progress to frailty (age-related weakness). Therefore, the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and sarcopenia are urgently needed to maintain and improve the health of the Japanese people and to realize a vibrant and prosperous economic society in our hyper-aged society. Based on the concept of “medicine and food as the source of all life,” which refers to the prevention of disease through a well-balanced diet, osteoporosis and sarcopenia are diseases that should be prevented through daily diet. The authors have focused on flavonoids such as vignacyanidin and nobiletin, royal jelly, geranylgeraniol, and vitamin C related to honey bees to elucidate their functions in bone and muscle metabolism. In this review, we discuss the possibility of dietary prevention of osteoporosis and sarcopenia.

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In the prevention of aspiration pneumonia and the maintenance of swallowing function in patients with dysphagia, oral health care is increasingly considered to have a role that goes beyond simply “cleaning the mouth to reduce the number of bacteria in the mouth”. In this review, we will position oral health care as part of ”dysphagia rehabilitation” and discuss the multiple mechanisms and clinical significance of oral health care, such as activating perioral muscles through oral cavity stimulation, promoting salivary secretion, releasing substance P, and improving brain arousal. We also discuss ways in which oral health care can potentially improve quality of life by preventing complications and increasing the possibility of oral intake in the perioperative period and in the final stage of life. We will also discuss the importance of using oral health care comprehensively, integrating it with nutrition management and dysphagia rehabilitation training through interprofessional collaboration. In this way, a comprehensive perspective is seen as the foundation for safe food intake and aspiration prevention in the long-term management of dysphagia, as well as maximising the impact of rehabilitation.

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