Effects of Agar Administration on the Defecation and Fecal Condition of Healthy Volunteers.

Hara Hirofumi, Taki Chizuru, Kon Rumiko, Uzuhashi Yuji, Sasaya Mieko, Sasaki Kazuki

doi:10.5264/eiyogakuzashi.58.239

This study examines the effects of ingesting dietary fiber made exclusively of agar on the number of evacuations, volume of feces and fecal condition. The subjects consisted of 19 healthy adult volunteers (19-52 years old) and 60 healthy female colleagues (20-22 years old). They ate food specially prepared for the study, a type of noodle made only from agar (agar noodle), and control food consisting of noodles made from Psyllium seed gum (Psyllium noodle) for the adult volunteers and commercially available instant noodles once a day as the side menu of lunch for the female colleagues. They were asked to avoid alcohol and fermentable foods, although the food intake and the contents of meal were not limitted throughout the study. The number of defecations by the healthy adult volunteers and the volume of feces per week were both statistically higher during the period of agar noodle ingestion than during the period without ingesting agar noodles (p<0.01). The number of defecations and the volume of feces were also significantly higher when eating agar noodles than with Psyllium noodles over the same time period (p<0.05). The number of defecations by the female colleagues and the volume of feces were significantly higher during the period of eating agar noodles than without them (p<0.001). The number of defecations and the volume of feces were also significantly higher when eating agar noodles than when consuming instant noodles (p<0.001). In respect of the fecal condition, the color tended to be changed from black to brown by eating agar noodles and the smell of the feces was decreased. The consistency of the feces was also changed from hard to soft, resembling the shape of a banana, and the subjects felt that the process of evacuation was good. Although the intake of agar noodles resulted in several subjects feeling slight abdominal swelling, this was a temporary effect.<br>These results indicate that the number of defecations and the volume of feces were increased, and that the fecal condition was improved in healthy adults by ingesting agar noodles.

Effects of Agar Administration on the Defecation and Fecal Condition of Healthy Volunteers.

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