Urologists take notice! Is it true that the ingredients in Bontan Candy make movies & plays over 3 hours long “toilet-free”?

It makes it difficult to feel the urge to urinate.

The blockbuster movie “National Treasure” grossed close to 10 billion yen at the box office. The film has become a topic of conversation due to its high artistic quality, the actors’ convincing performances, and its length of more than three hours.

When watching a movie for a long time, one inevitably worries about the “bathroom problem. In such a situation, the following comments have been spreading mainly on SNS.

I ate some Bon Temps candy before the movie and didn’t have to go to the restroom until the end.

“Maybe it’s because of Bontan Candy that I didn’t feel the urge to urinate during the concert?

Nowadays, there is an urban legend that “Bontan Candy may have the effect of suppressing frequent urination. This urban legend-like rumor has been attracting attention mainly on the Internet. Some people believe that this is a placebo effect, that the desire to urinate is suppressed by the belief that “I ate Bontan Candy, so I don’t have to worry about going to the bathroom,” but this is not the case. However, urologists say that they may have a point.

Dr. Tetsuya Kubota, director of the Kubota Clinic Matsudo Goka, who treats more than 25,000 people a year for urological symptoms, is focusing on a component of Bontan candy called synephyrin.

Sinephilin is an ingredient found in citrus peels and has the effect of stimulating and activating the sympathetic nervous system. What is important is that synephilin relaxes smooth muscle,” says Dr. Kubota.

Smooth muscle is the muscle controlled by the autonomic nervous system, such as the bladder. In other words, “synephrine may reduce the urge to urinate by relaxing excessive contractions of the bladder. Dr. Kubota says that the mechanism is similar to that of drugs used to treat overactive bladder.

Risk of Cystitis

Dr. Kubota also noted the presence of sugar in Bontan Candy.

The carbohydrates (glutinous rice and syrup) in Bontan Candy are thought to temporarily suppress urine production by changing the osmotic pressure of blood plasma. The smooth muscle relaxant effect of synephrine adds to this, and the urge to urinate itself is temporarily calmed. I believe that this kind of sensation actually occurs.

Dr. Kubota believes that it is not surprising that some people may experience a “temporary reduction in frequent urination” due to the combined effects of the two drugs. However, effectiveness and treatment are two different things. Overconfidence is not advised.

Even if someone eats Bon Temps candy and says, ‘I feel it works,’ it is only a supplementary effect. There are various causes behind frequent urination, such as aging bladder, prostate enlargement, diabetes, sleep disorders, and stress. The first step is to get a proper diagnosis and determine the underlying cause of frequent urination.

Eating too much Bon Temps candy can lead to excessive sugar intake. There is also the risk of causing cystitis by holding the toilet all the time. Caution is needed,” says Dr. Kubota.

Psychological effects can also cause people to feel close to the toilet,” Dr. Kubota continued.

“Being warned that you won’t be able to go to the restroom for a while can make you want to go,” Dr. Kubota continued. The thought of not being able to sit up on the way to the bathroom makes them feel anxious.

I think it is not a bad idea to take one or two Bontan candies before a live concert, a movie, or a long meeting, as an item to relieve the feeling of ‘anxious urination.

Bontan candy can be carried in a pocket. It may be a good idea to carry it as a good-luck charm without being paranoid.