To prevent protein-energy malnutrition in elderly inpatients with dysphagia, weexamined the current meals for them in detail. The thickeners seemed to be a ploblem. Changes of viscosity over time and temperature were reduced when a starch thickener was changed to a xanthan gum thickener. When a gelatinizer was added to soft meals to allow cutting into shape, etc., the meals looked better were less sticky, more cohesive, and easier to eat. Thus, the smooth texture required of meals for dysphagia patients was obtained. When conventional mixed meals were changed to soft meals, there was an improvement of appearance and the meals became more palatable.The change of food intake after these improvements was investigated in five inpatients who had difficulty in swallowing. Food intake was increased in four of these five patients after these improvements, suggesting that their appetite might have been increased by improvement of the appearance and palatability of their meals. We will continue making improvements of these meals in hopes that patients can eat solid food again as early as possible.
Deglutition Disorders ; Eating ; Energy, Physics ; Solid ; Malnutrition

Taiki is a kind of fundamental vital energy filling the upper aspect of the body, and it can fall because of stress, heavy labor, diarrhea, excessive intake of drugs for regulating the flow of vital energy, or extreme deficiency in vital energy.We report the case of a 39 year old female patient who complained of dyspnea, psychic enervation, and other symptoms of falling taiki from the upper aspect of the body, caused by taking a cathartic drug (mashiningan) for constipation, while being treated for agitation and emotional incontinence. Shokanto improved this state of falling taiki from the upper aspect of the body.
Energy, Physics ; Vital ; Cathartics ; g <3> ; Due to

Oriental medicine explains that Kikyo (deficiency of Qi) is an exhausted state of the human body's energy. Hence a lack of energy state could be equal to a state of low metabolism. It would affect any blood test. Kikyo-scores were evaluated in 333 new patients who had visited our clinic within a 13-month period, and their blood samples were collected on the same days. A chi-square test was done with the Kikyo cases, indicating points of 30 and above of Kikyo-score, and patients who indicated lower than standard levels in their blood tests. A relationship between Kikyo, and points lower than normal chemical screening test values was proved (p<0.0001). Forty-nine percent of Kikyo-patients were under normal limits, but the positive predictive ratio was85%. We have to recognize it is an exhaustive Qi state we see, when chemical screening data values are low.
Qi ; deficiency ; Energy, Physics ; seconds ; Related

This study examined the difference in dietary intake between middle−aged and elderly Japanese and Chinese. Volunteers aged 50∼79 living in two cities in both Japan and China were recruited in local community service centers and were asked to complete a 3−day diet recording. The final results were based on 356 subjects (166 Chinese and 190 Japanese). In men, the Japanese subjects significantly consumed more energy, with a large proportion of the energy coming from carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C and they consumed less iron, and a lower proportion of energy from protein and fat than in the Chinese subjects. In women, the Japanese subjects had significantly higher intakes of energy, the proportion of energy from carbohydrates, dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C and they consumed less iron, with the proportion of energy from protein and from fat in comparison with the Chinese women. Fat intake provided more than 29% of the total dietary energy in Chinese subjects. Daily intake of food items was significantly greater in the Japanese participants, both men and women (18.54±2.85, 20.11±2.40, respectively), than in the Chinese subjects (14.11±3.62, 15.51±4.15, respectively) (p<0.01 by Mann Whitney U−test). The present study suggests that the middle−aged and elderly Chinese subjects should increase their variety of foods consumed while decreasing their consumption of high−fat foods. For the Japanese subjects, the higher intake of total calories among the woman should also be noted.
Chinese People ; Japanese language ; Energy, Physics ; Human Females ; Elderly

The energy expenditure, food consumption and anthropometry of two groups of Hull women are described. The group occupying the highly productive drained margins of the Haeapugua Swamp at Weinani have significantly higher intakes of energy and protein than those at Heli on the Paijaka Plateau. However, both groups of women expend similar amounts of time and energy in agricultural activities. The differences are explained by the contrasting quality of agricultural land at each place. Production per hectare at Heli is only around half of that at Weinani. It is concluded that the nutritional health of Heli women is compromised. This is probably the cause of the significantly lower mean birthweights of children born to women living on the Paijaka Plateau.
Human Females ; Energy, Physics ; Papua New Guinea ; livin ; g <3>