The effects of tea catechins on fecal conditions of elderly residents in a long-term care facility.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of tea catechins on fecal contents and metabolites of elderly people who were on a diet of solid food. The subjects were 35 residents in a long-term care facility who were all on the same diet, consisting of rice gruel and minced food. Tea catechins (300 mg), which were divided into 3 doses a day, were a meal supplement every day for 6 weeks. Fecal specimens were collected by the nursing staff, and their moisture content, pH, ammonia, sulfide, and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) were determined before, during, and after the administration of tea catechins. In a comparison of values before the administration, all these fecal parameters decreased significantly during the tea catechin administration. After termination of the administration, these data tended to return toward the levels before administration. The reduction of such fecal parameters as moisture, pH, ammonia, sulfide, and ORP by tea catechin administration indicated very favorable improvements of the subjects' bowel conditions.