The invention provides non-dairy, plant-based components, having reduced trace element contents, food products and nutritional compositions comprising them and methods for their preparation.

The use of and a method using a diet composition for enhancing lean body mass/muscle mass is provided. The diet composition includes a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) component to be administered for a first time period of reduced calorie intake of 24 to 190 hours. The fasting-mimicking diet component provides less than 50% of the normal calorie intake of the subject with both protein restriction and sugar restriction. The diet composition can also include a re-feeding diet component to be administered for a second time period. Characteristically, the re-feeding diet component providing 60-100% of the normal calorie intake of the subject. Advantageously, the fasting-mimicking diet component and the re-feeding diet component are administered for multiple cycles.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a reduced-calorie fruit juice or vegetable juice beverage, which is produced by reducing the calorie of a fruit juice or vegetable juice beverage, such as a 100% fruit juice or vegetable juice beverage, while maintaining the favor and juice liquid properties of fruit juice or vegetable juice. To solve this problem, there is provided a reduced-calorie fruit juice or vegetable juice beverage which maintains the flavor and juice liquid properties of fruit juice or vegetable juice, the reduced-calorie fruit juice or vegetable juice beverage being produced by treating the fruit juice or vegetable juice with a crude enzyme preparation of fructosyl transferase having substantially no pectinase activity.

The present invention relates to the use of a nutritional composition having a low amount of protein, such as less than 1.8 g/100 kcal for administration to infants of non-obese and non-overweight mothers so as to reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, increased weight gain, increased fat deposition, overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus later in said infant's life.

The present invention relates to the use of a nutritional composition having a low amount of protein, such as less than 1.8 g/100 kcal for administration to infants of non-obese and non-overweight mothers so as to reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, increased weight gain, increased fat deposition, overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus later in said infant's life.

A fat-binding composition contains an inclusion complex with a host molecule and a guest molecule. The guest molecule includes one or more amino acids, vitamins, flavorants or related compounds, rutin, betanin, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof. The fat-binding composition may be in the form of a tablet or powder, for example, and may be incorporated into a food or beverage product. If in the form of a powder or tablet, the composition may optionally contain a carbonation-forming component and may be dissolved in carbonated or non-carbonated water. The fat-binding composition may also be employed in a method for binding fat ingested by an animal which includes having the animal ingest the composition, or a food or beverage product containing the same.

A fat-binding composition contains an inclusion complex with a host molecule and a guest molecule. The guest molecule includes one or more amino acids, vitamins, flavorants or related compounds, rutin, betanin, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof. The fat-binding composition may be in the form of a tablet or powder, for example, and may be incorporated into a food or beverage product. If in the form of a powder or tablet, the composition may optionally contain a carbonation-forming component and may be dissolved in carbonated or non-carbonated water. The fat-binding composition may also be employed in a method for binding fat ingested by an animal which includes having the animal ingest the composition, or a food or beverage product containing the same.

Hyper-branched maltodextrins having a dextrose equivalent (DE) between at least 8 and at most 15 and a molecular weight or Mw between at least 1,700 and at most 3,000 daltons, characterized in that same have: a 1,6 glucoside bond content between at least 30 and at most 45%; a soluble indigestible fiber content, which is determined according to the AOAC No. 2001-03 method, between at least 75 and at most 100%; and a hypoglycemic capacity expressed according to a test A, which:—in vitro, results in an 80 to 90% reduction of the α-amylase hydrolysis of standard maltodextrins, and—in situ, by a 30 to 45% reduction in the intestinal digestive activity of standard maltodextrins.

Hyper-branched maltodextrins having a dextrose equivalent (DE) between at least 8 and at most 15 and a molecular weight or Mw between at least 1,700 and at most 3,000 daltons, characterized in that same have: a 1,6 glucoside bond content between at least 30 and at most 45%; a soluble indigestible fiber content, which is determined according to the AOAC No. 2001-03 method, between at least 75 and at most 100%; and a hypoglycemic capacity expressed according to a test A, which:—in vitro, results in an 80 to 90% reduction of the α-amylase hydrolysis of standard maltodextrins, and—in situ, by a 30 to 45% reduction in the intestinal digestive activity of standard maltodextrins.

Provided are a food-and-drink composition, food-and-drink, and so on containing astaxanthin and/or astaxanthin-containing extract as an active ingredient. The food-and-drink composition, food-and-drink, and so on containing astaxanthin and/or astaxanthin-containing extract as an active ingredient exert actions and effects to improve dull-headedness, improve decreased concentration, improve decreased motivation, improve depressed mood, resolve frustration, reduce feeling of body heaviness, and improve decreased vigor and/or activity, in a healthy human male or female having a sense of fatigue, in particular, a sense of fatigue caused by a mental load or a sense of fatigue caused by a mental load and a physical load.