ABSTRACT
We evaluated the effects of SCP bathing on the body by compared with those of a-EG, one of major component of SCP, bathing and the control bathing with tap water alone. Healthy adults were used as the subjects. The effects of bathing on blood pressure and pulse rate were not significantly different among the three bathings, indicating that effects of SCP and α-EG bathing on the lung and heart were similar to those of an ordinary bathing. The surface skin temperature at the forehead decreased more slowly in the subjects after taking a SCP bathing than the other two, suggesting that SCP has temperature holding effects. Also, the results of deep body temperature suggested that α-EG might be related to the heat absorbing effects of SCP bathing, which were significantly marked than those of the other two bathings. The present results regarding the changes in blood flow and deep body temperature during bathing suggest that SCP might produce an environment that allows more rapid heat transfer from bath water to the body and less releasing it from the body. Therefore, we concluded that some component other than α-ethylglucoside would be involved in the heat transfer and moisturizing during SCP bathing. Measurement of skin water content indicated that a region directly contacting with hot water was moisturized in a short time, but this condition quickly returned to the pre-bath condition. Whereas, for regions not contacting with bath water, the skin was much more moisturized by taking SCP bath than the other two bathings. Therefore, it was concluded that SCP is effective for enhancement of skin moisturizing.
ABSTRACT
To investigate the scientific grounds for the effect of raspberry ketone bathing that is claimed to increase energy consumption by stimulating metabolism, a bathing experiment was conducted in 10 normal healthy adults.<br>As a result, no appreciable difference was detected among tap water, CO<sub>2</sub>-enriched water and raspberry water in respect to blood pressure, pulse rate and depth thermometer readings, which suggested that bathing in warm raspberry water was safe, producing no marked load on the cardiovascular system. Changes in the skin surface temperature indicated slow elevation of body temperature, from which bathing in warm raspberry water was considered to produce no marked load on the body even if bathing lasted relatively long as compared with bathing in warm tap water or CO<sub>2</sub>-enriched warm water. From the skin tissue blood flow data, it seemed likely that the increase in blood flow caused by bathing in warm raspberry water was produced, not by vasodilatation as in CO<sub>2</sub>-enriched warm water bathing, but by such mechanisms as acceleration of metabolism. Data on insulin suggested that bathing in warm raspberry water affected the carbohydrate metabolism as compared with that in warm tap water or CO<sub>2</sub>-enriched warm water. Since there was no difference among warm water groups in changes in the adrenocortical hormone “cortisol”, raspberry ketone bathing was considered not to have specific activity. Data on NK cell activity showed that bathing in warm raspberry water produced no appreciable effect on the immune system. It was suggested that measurement of β-endorphin should be performed after adjustment of psychological environments.<br>The results of expiration air analysis also indicated that, while bathing in CO<sub>2</sub>-enriched warm water was related to changes in the cardiovascular system, bathing in warm raspberry ketone water produced no appreciable load on the cardiovascular system but consumed energy through acceleration of metabolic activities.