Towards a Society Where the Elderly Don't Lose the Ability to Eat

As the population ages, many people experience issues such as reduced food intake, constipation, and muscle weakness, commonly known as frailty. Epice, through its currently available product "+leaf," has been addressing these challenges and has come to realize the critical importance of truly necessary nutritional design for the elderly. Moving forward, epice aims to realize a society where people can live authentically even as they age, by developing products that enable effortless nutrient intake even with small meal portions, and that support "eating from the mouth" (ingesting nutrients orally). Epice supports April Dream, an initiative to make April 1st a day for sharing dreams. This press release represents the dream of "epice."

### Realizing the Impact of "Eating Ability" from My Father's Changes My father is currently 84 years old. As he aged, his food intake decreased, he suffered from persistent constipation, and his opportunities to go out diminished. His muscle strength also declined, approaching a state of what is known as frailty. I have been giving my father "+leaf," a protein supplement currently under development and sale, every day. *+leaf was developed for women in the menopausal generation.* About three days after he started taking it, a change appeared: he went from having difficulty with bowel movements to having them naturally almost every day. Furthermore, as his bowel movements became regular, his food intake gradually increased, and he showed more willingness in his daily life, such as walking and climbing stairs at home, compared to before. Through these changes, I strongly realized that gut health and nutrient intake significantly impact daily physical condition and life. On the other hand, I also feel that there are still points to be pursued for a design more suitable for the elderly body.

### The Importance of "Eating from the Mouth" As the population ages, problems such as reduced food intake, constipation, and muscle weakness, known as frailty, are occurring in many people. I was once impressed by a doctor's words during an interview at a home healthcare site: "No matter how old you get, eating from the mouth connects to a person's will to live." At that site, efforts were being made to support "eating from the mouth" in collaboration not only with medical professionals but also with administrative bodies. Here, "eating" refers not only to solid meals but to the entire act of ingesting nutrients orally. This idea is also connected to the design of +leaf, which involves ingesting nutrients orally, even in liquid form. In reality, as the amount of food eaten decreases, nutrition becomes insufficient, muscle strength declines, opportunities to go out decrease, and the ability to eat itself gradually weakens— Such changes are not special but progress little by little in daily life.

### Truly Necessary Nutritional Design What the elderly need is not just simple protein supplementation. I feel that what is truly required when food intake decreases is not just "taking in" nutrients, but "creating a state where they can be utilized." For that, the gut environment, which forms the foundation of the body, is crucial. The state of the gut is greatly involved not only in bowel movements but also in daily physical condition and appetite. We believe that only when this foundation is in place can ingested nutrients work effectively. Furthermore, the design must satisfy these elements: * It can be taken effortlessly even with small meal portions. * It prevents muscle weakness and supports daily living functions. * It has a taste and quantity that can be continued daily. In addition, folic acid, which is blended in +leaf, is a nutrient involved in maintaining blood flow and brain function, and we believe it plays an important role for the elderly. Going forward, we will pursue a more practical design, also considering the blending of B vitamins, which are expected to have synergistic effects.

### Towards a Society Where Eating Becomes the "Will to Live" My dream is to develop a protein supplement that genuinely supports the bodies and lives of the elderly, expanding choices where "eating" directly leads to the "will to live." As people age, food intake tends to decrease, constipation and muscle weakness become more common, and gradually, opportunities to go out and interact with others can also be lost. I feel that not being able to eat is not merely a lack of nutrition, but it leads to shrinking one's own way of life. That is why I want to pursue a nutritional design for the elderly that considers not only protein supplementation but also gut health and ease of daily continuation. I want to deliver something that can be taken effortlessly even with small meal portions, supports the body's foundation, and can make daily life even a little more positive. That is the future I want to evolve +leaf into. Towards a society where people can eat with their own mouths, walk with their own feet, and live authentically even as they age. To support a daily life where one doesn't have to give up on eating, through the power of food. We will continue to challenge ourselves to achieve this.

**[+leaf (Plus Leaf) Distributor Information]** +leaf (Plus Leaf) is a meal-designed protein brand developed by registered dietitian Mariko Naito, aimed at supporting changes in women's physical condition and lifestyle rhythms. Rather than focusing solely on "high protein," we prioritize gut activity and protein intake, valuing a design that can be effortlessly incorporated as an extension of daily meals, carefully selecting ingredients and blending them one by one. *This product and its development background were also featured in the Saitama Shimbun.* [Company Name] epice [Location] Soka City, Saitama Prefecture (abbreviated below) [Sales Manager] Mariko Naito (Registered Dietitian) ■ Product Page (Official Online Shop) https://plus-leaf.com/ ■ Contact Information Email: plus.leaf2025@gmail.com For inquiries regarding interviews and product sample provision, please contact the email address above.

**<Product Overview>** Product Name: +leaf (Plus Leaf) Release Date: November 1, 2025 Contents: 480g (approx. 15 servings) Price: Regular price 3,980 yen (tax included) / Subscription price 2,980 yen (tax included) ~ Sales Method: Sold on the +leaf official online shop URL: https://plus-leaf.com/ Ingredients: Komatsuna powder (equivalent to 50g fresh leaves/serving), Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), Rice koji powder, Oligosaccharide, Inulin, Brown sugar, Lactic acid bacteria, Bifidobacteria, Folic acid

**<Features>** ■ Additive-free protein that "cultivates the body" for women who don't exercise ■ New concept health support with Komatsuna × Chaga × gut-friendly bacteria ■ Easy to mix with a spoon, light design that tastes good even with water ■ Additive-free design without fragrances, colorings, or preservatives