Sake lees contain many nutritional components derived from rice, koji, and yeast, and previous research has reported that they have a variety of physiological functions. A joint research team from Ozeki Co., Ltd. and Yaegaki Fermentation Engineering Co., Ltd. focused on the multiple dietary fiber-like components contained in sake lees, including resistant proteins, and developed "Profiber®," a food ingredient with a variety of functions that contains a complex combination of these indigestible components.
Profiber® has been confirmed to have the functions of "oil absorption," "normalizing the intestinal environment," and "reducing visceral fat."

Profiber manufacturing method and its properties

Sake lees are treated with saccharifying enzymes and proteases (protein-degrading enzymes) and fermented with sake yeast for three days to reduce the nutrients remaining in the lees, thereby concentrating the indigestible components of dietary fiber and resistant protein.
As a result, Profiber was able to increase the resistant protein content by approximately 13 times and the dietary fiber content by approximately 57 times compared to sake rice, for a total of approximately 23 times more of both.

Oil absorption effect

Profiber® is porous and has the ability to absorb oil.
In addition, because it is an insoluble material, it exhibits oil adsorption effects even in gastric juices with low pH.

Intestinal environment improvement

Women (n=72) who tend to suffer from constipation were given Profiber, and the results showed that it improved bowel movements and intestinal flora.

Reduced visceral fat

Men (n=9) whose cholesterol and triglyceride levels exceeded the standard range were
After taking 750mg of Profiber continuously for two months, a decrease in triglyceride levels was confirmed.

【references】

Toshiro Watanabe, NEW FOOD INDUSTRY,
51,27-36 (2009)

Toshiro Watanabe, NEW FOOD INDUSTRY,
52,24-30 (2010)