【Background】
As people age, the amount of food they eat and the amount of water they consume decrease, and their activity level declines, so the problems of constipation increase, which is thought to lead to a decline in QOL (quality of life). The authors once tried to provide barley rice containing pressed barley to increase the dietary fiber intake of elderly residents of a senior health care facility. Still, they complained of decreased appetite because of the "bad smell" and "lack of glutinous texture. In a trial to increase the number of mushrooms and vegetables, the results showed that the amount of energy intake was insufficient due to increased leftovers due to chewing problems. Therefore, we investigated the acceptability and constipation-relieving effect of continuous intake of barley rice using Kirarimochi, a barley variety with high β-glucan content and a glutinous texture.
【Methods】
The subjects were 34 residents of a senior healthcare facility (7 males and 27 females, median age 88.9 years). The subjects could take barley rice orally, and their defecation status could be checked by nursing staff because they needed assistance with defecation. For the first month, white rice or white rice porridge was provided as the staple food (baseline); for the following two weeks, barley rice containing 10% Kirarimochi; for the next two weeks, barley rice containing 20% Kirarimochi; and for the following four months, barley rice containing 30% Kirarimochi. Barley rice or barley rice porridge was provided as the staple food for three meals a day. Kirarimochi was processed by cutting and pearling to rice-shaped grain.
【Results】
Twenty-eight subjects who were able to participate in the study until the end were included in the analysis (2 of the 28 subjects were discharged from the facility in the final month). At baseline, 14 patients had fewer than three bowel movements per week (constipation group), and 14 patients had more than three bowel movements per week (non-constipation group). In the constipation group, the number of days with defecation and the frequency of defecation increased. The use of laxatives decreased compared to baseline during the five months when the participants consumed barley rice or barley rice porridge. There were no significant changes in the non-constipated group.
【Discussion and conclusion】
Continuous intake of barley rice with Kirarimochi improved bowel movements in the constipation group. Still, it did not affect bowel movements in the non-constipation group. Even though there were significantly more subjects with low ADL (activities of daily living) and feeding capacity in the non-constipated group than in the constipated group, there were no frequent bowel movements or diarrhea, which are concerns during dietary interventions this one. The fact that meals can be served without changing the content of the main meal depending on whether or not the subject is constipated is useful in reducing the workload of the nursing staff preparing the meals.
We want to focus on two reasons we were able to carry out such a long-term study for six months: first, we were able to increase the dietary fiber intake of the subjects without increasing the burden of meal preparation, and second, the subjects accept rice-shaped Kirarimochi.
【Research institution】
Mimasaka Sakutou Nursing Home
Mimasaka University
Konan Women’s University
NARO Western Region Agricultural Research Center
Effect of waxy barley, Kirarimochi, consumption on bowel movements of late-stage elderly residents at Roken nursing home.
J Physiol Anthropol 36, 17, 2017
