Patent ID: 7993668

Claim:
A method for the improvement of gastrointestinal function, which comprises administering, to a subject in need thereof, an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one kind selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, a 5′-nucleotide, and a salt thereof, wherein, when glutamic acid or a salt thereof alone is administered, the amount thereof on administration is equal to the amount delivered by administering 400 to 3000 ml of a liquid which contains 0.0013 -1.3 w/v % of glutamic acid or salt thereof as free glutamic acid, and wherein said improvement of gastrointestinal function is a decrease in the frequency of diarrhea or a decrease in gastroesophageal reflux, and wherein said administering is to the stomach, duodenum, or jejunum of said subject via a nasal tube, a gastric fistula, or an intestinal fistula.