Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a granulated product containing a dry powder of green leaves of at least one kind selected from grains, kale, sweet potatoes, mulberry trees, ashitaba, mugwort, Peucedanum japonicum, and kuma bamboo grass, and being excellent in dispersibility and smoothness, and to provide a method for producing the granulated product. The present invention allows for providing a granulated product excellent in dispersibility and smoothness and a method for producing the granulated product by producing a granulated product using a dry powder of green leaves of at least one kind selected from grains, kale, sweet potatoes, mulberry trees, ashitaba, mugwort, Peucedanum japonicum, and kuma bamboo grass, and controlling a specific gravity of the granulated product to a certain range.

Abstract: It is a composition comprising young barley grass, used for promoting salivary IgA secretion, maintaining or improving oral immune function, or mucosal immune function, or preventing or alleviating upper airway infection.

Abstract: The present invention has been made, for oral compositions comprising tectorigenins, for the purpose of ameliorating the taste of oral compositions comprising tectorigenins and ameliorating the stability of such oral compositions and the combination of tectorigenins and a specific compound can ameliorate the taste or stability of oral compositions comprising tectorigenins.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for recovering from and/or alleviating a hangover, containing Garcinia indica. The composition for recovering from and/or alleviating a hangover of the present invention has an excellent recovery and/or alleviation effect on a hangover, and thus the composition for recovering from and/or alleviating a hangover has high industrial usefulness.

Abstract: The present invention is a food product comprising dried Kudzu flower powder, and having a water content of 8% by weight or less, and preferably which proportion of fractions passing a sieve having a sieve opening of 2 mm is 20% by weight or more. The food product of the present invention has good taste and odor.

Abstract: Described are body fat-reducing agents containing a processed pueraria flower as an active component. The body fat-reducing agent has a superior body fat-reducing effect. Furthermore, the body fat-reducing agent may contain at least one of a lipid absorption suppressing component and a lipid metabolism promoting component. A food product, which contains the body fat-reducing agent, provided according to the present invention has superior effects of preventing body fat accumulation and reducing body fat.

Abstract: An alcohol metabolism enhancer is made from safe plant extracts and an alcoholic beverage and causes a reduced sick feeling and hangover from drinking alcohol without causing hemolysis using safe materials derived from plants. The alcohol metabolism enhancer and the alcoholic beverage include proanthocyanidins, such as pine bark extracts.

Abstract: A composition comprising: a flavan compound that is at least one of a proanthocyanidin and catechins; a protein degradation peptide having an average molecular weight of less than 7,000; and a peptide or protein having an average molecular weight of not less than 7,000. The composition does not impair effects of the flavan compound to the body. Furthermore, when the composition is formulated in a liquid preparation, neither coagulation-precipitation attributable to the nature of the flavan compound, nor coagulation-precipitation with the high molecular weight peptide or protein which is attributable to the protein-constricting property of the flavan compound is caused.

Abstract: The method for producing proanthocyanidin-containing product of the present invention comprises the steps of providing a pine bark as a starting material, extracting the pine bark with at least one of water and an organic solvent, and treating the resultant extract with a synthetic resin adsorbent, wherein the pine bark has characteristics in that at least 7 wt % of solid material in terms of dry weight is obtained from a pine bark extract that is obtained by adding 10 parts by volume of an aqueous ethanol solution containing ethanol in the range of 50 to 80 volume % to one part by weight of the pine bark, and performing extraction at 80 to 85° C. for one hour. It is possible to conveniently and efficiently obtain proanthocyanidin-containing product that contains at least 10 wt % of OPCs.

Abstract: Described are body fat-reducing agents containing a processed pueraria flower as an active component. The body fat-reducing agent has a superior body fat-reducing effect. Furthermore, the body fat-reducing agent may contain at least one of a lipid absorption suppressing component and a lipid metabolism promoting component. A food product, which contains the body fat-reducing agent, provided according to the present invention has superior effects of preventing body fat accumulation and reducing body fat.

Abstract: An alcohol metabolism enhancer is made from safe plant extracts and an alcoholic beverage and causes a reduced sick feeling and hangover from drinking alcohol without causing hemolysis using safe materials derived from plants. The alcohol metabolism enhancer and the alcoholic beverage include proanthocyanidins, such as pine bark extracts.

Abstract: As a lipid metabolism improving agent for allowing lipids in the body to be metabolized efficiently, a lipid metabolism improving agent containing a pine bark extract as an active component is provided. The lipid metabolism improving agent of the present invention has abilities to promote cholesterol excretion, inhibit lipid absorption, reduce body fat, and inhibit fat accumulation, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a body fat-reducing agent containing a processed pueraria flower as an active component. The body fat-reducing agent has a superior body fat-reducing effect. Furthermore, the body fat-reducing agent may contain at least one of a lipid absorption suppressing component and a lipid metabolism promoting component. A food product, which contains the body fat-reducing agent, provided according to the present invention has superior effects of preventing body fat accumulation and reducing body fat.

Abstract: A composition comprising: a flavan compound that is at least one of a proanthocyanidin and catechins; a protein degradation peptide having an average molecular weight of less than 7,000; and a peptide or protein having an average molecular weight of not less than 7,000. The composition does not impair effects of the flavan compound to the body. Furthermore, when the composition is formulated in a liquid preparation, neither coagulation-precipitation attributable to the nature of the flavan compound, nor coagulation-precipitation with the high molecular weight peptide or protein which is attributable to the protein-constricting property of the flavan compound is caused.

Abstract: The present invention provides an external preparation that contains processed pueraria flower. When the external preparation of the present invention is applied to skin or mucous membranes, then skin quality improving effects (skin beautifying effects) such as preventing chapped skin or preventing wrinkles, the effect of strengthening mucous membrane elasticity, and the effect of preventing gingivitis and periodontal disease, for example, are obtained. The external preparation of the present invention can develop new use of the pueraria flower.

Abstract: The present invention provides a water-soluble conjugate consisting of proanthocyanidins and a peptide containing three or more amino acids. Preferably, the average molecular weight of the peptide is not more than 7,000. The water-soluble conjugate of the present invention provides proanthocyanidins having a high protective stability and retained or increased bioactivities. Namely, it does not cause precipitation even in a long-term storage and can be transported into the body while maintaining the bioactivities.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition for the oral cavity that comprises a pine bark extract that is extracted from the bark of a pine. The composition for the oral cavity of the present invention can provide a plurality of effects such as an effect of improving blood flow in the mouth and an effect of reducing halitosis.

Abstract: The method comprises the process of treating an extract or squeezed juice of a plant with a salt and/or an alkaloid and then with a synthetic resin adsorbent, or the process of treating an extract or squeezed juice of a plant with a synthetic resin adsorbent and then with a salt and/or an alkaloid. By this method, a proanthocyanidin-containing product containing highly bioactive OPCs at a high ratio can be obtained easily and efficiently.

Abstract: A cruciferous plant, cut pieces thereof, and juice of the plant and the cut pieces are subjected to at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of anaerobic treatment, 25 to 50° C. thermal retention treatment, and glutamic acid treatment, to enrich &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (GABA), thereby obtaining a cruciferous plant, cut pieces, and juice containing GABA in various concentrations. By performing microwave radiation, blanching, drying, and the like for the GABA-enriched plant and the like as required, dried powder of the cruciferous plant, the cut pieces, and the juice, containing GABA in a high concentration and maintaining green color, is obtained. Food material, medicine material, and feed made of the cruciferous plant containing GABA in a high concentration are obtained.

Abstract: A processed food excellent for activating superoxidase dismutase is disclosed. The food contains 30 to 70% by weight of barley, wheat, rye or oats; 1 to 50% by weight of water soluble dietary fibers; 1 to 10% by weight of oligosaccharides; 0.5 to 5% by weight of powdered lactic acid bacteria and 5 to 15% by weight of powdered green tea. A method of making the food and a method for activating superoxide dismutase using the food is also disclosed.