About the Authors

Kasumi Fujita

Roles Investigation, Writing – original draft

Affiliation Department of Food and Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan

Toshio Norikura

Roles Investigation, Methodology

Affiliation Department of Nutrition, Aomori University of Health and Welfare, Aomori, Japan

Isao Matsui-Yuasa

Roles Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Food and Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan

Shigenori Kumazawa

Roles Investigation

Affiliation Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan

Sari Honda

Roles Investigation

Affiliation Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan

Takumi Sonoda

Roles Investigation

Affiliation TAISHO TECHNOS, Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Akiko Kojima-Yuasa

Roles Investigation, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

kojima@life.osaka-cu.ac.jp

Affiliation Department of Food and Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan

Competing Interests

A part of research grant and Carob pod polyphenols were provided by the TAISHO TECHNOS, Co., Ltd. We declare that these relationships did not affect the results and conclusions of this manuscript. This does not alter on adherence to PLOS ONE politics on sharing data and materials.