Table 5. Defecation frequency, feces quantity, urinary phenol levels, and skin moisture in the test periods.
| Parameter | Group | Before intake | After intake | p-value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Defecation frequency | Intake | 4.5 | ± | 1.5 | 4.9 | ± | 1.6 | <0.001*** |
| (days/week) | Non-intake | 4.7 | ± | 1.3 | 4.5 | ± | 1.5 | 0.424 |
| (2) Feces quantity | Intake | 2.4 | ± | 1.5 | 2.7 | ± | 1.6 | 0.004** |
| (Units*1/week) | Non-intake | 2.3 | ± | 1.5 | 2.3 | ± | 1.5 | 1.000 |
| (3) Urinary p-cresol | Intake | 32.6 | ± | 33.4 | 23.6 | ± | 24.5 | 0.030* |
| (μM/mM CRE) | Non-intake | 29.3 | ± | 32.9 | 18.0 | ± | 20.1 | 0.192 |
| (4) Urinary phenol | Intake | 16.4 | ± | 11.1 | 11.4 | ± | 9.6 | 0.000*** |
| (μM/mM CRE) | Non-intake | 15.5 | ± | 11.3 | 10.5 | ± | 6.3 | 0.072 |
| (5) Hydration level of the stratum corneum (AU) | Intake | 23.2 | ± | 8.2 | 25.1 | ± | 9.2 | 0.029* |
| Non-intake | 24.5 | ± | 13.8 | 24.1 | ± | 10.2 | 0.881 | |
Intake, n=81; non-intake, n=20. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation of each group. *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001 ((1 and 2) Wilcoxon signed-rank test, (3–5) paired t-test).
*1 A fecal model with a 4-cm diameter and a ping-pong ball-like shape was considered 1 unit.