Nourishing and supplementary drinks
A wide range of products is available, from nourishing drinks available over the counter to those that can be prescribed by your doctor. If you are not eating well or have lost weight you may need to include high energy supplements in your diet. These will help you maintain a good nutritional intake.
Nourishing drinks
There are many high energy drinks available in the supermarket, such as, milk shakes and smoothies. Some drinks are fortified with vitamins and minerals. These are a good choice if you have poor appetite. For example:
- Build Up is available in sweet and savoury flavours. The sweet flavoured drinks are mixed with milk. Add ice cream to make a thick milk shake. Build Up soup is easy to make by just adding boiling water.
- Complan is available in sweet and savoury flavours and is mixed with milk or water.
Nutritionally complete or supplementary drinks
While you are in hospital, or attending a clinic, your doctor or dietitian may prescribe special liquid nutritional supplements. These drinks may be taken in place of food or in addition to your usual meals. The dietitian will advise you how many drinks you need to take each day.
These drinks are available in a wide variety of flavours and as milk shake style drinks or juice/squash supplement.
Malnutrition is a condition that develops when a person’s diet does not contain the right amount of energy (calories), protein or other nutrients. As a result, changes to the body occur that affect its normal function. The term malnutrition encompasses both insufficient intake of nutrients (under nutrition) and nutrient intake above what is required (over nutrition). During times of illness, when recovering from an operation or recent infection, or as we age we may be unable to eat and drink enough to meet our needs; in some instances our nutritional needs may be increased. Both of these circumstances can lead to disease related malnutrition.
Malnutrition can be identified by healthcare professionals using a simple screening tool which looks at 3 factors:
1 – Body mass index (BMI)
2 – Recent unintentional weight loss (in past 3-6 months)
3 – Whether a person is unwell and unable to eat or drink
In the UK, it is estimated that 3 million people are malnourished; the majority of these people are living at home or in a care facility.
Food provides us with energy and nutrients which are the substances the body needs to enable us to function every day. No single food provides us with the right mixture of these nutrients which is why we need to try and eat a varied and balanced diet to keep well.
During times of illness, getting enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals is essential to manage disease related malnutrition; it helps to reduce further weight loss, improve strength and reduce the risk of complications. For those who are malnourished and find it difficult to eat and drink enough the following might help:
Getting adequate nutrition from diet alone can be hard when you are unwell or recovering from a recent operation or infection. In this circumstance, healthcare professionals may prescribe oral nutritional supplements. Oral nutritional supplements are specially designed to meet the nutritional needs of those with disease related malnutrition. They provide additional energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. They come in a range of flavours and formats including milkshakes, juices, yoghurt style, powders and desserts.
Cancer is the term used to describe a number of related diseases in which the body’s cells divide uncontrollably. This uncontrolled division of cells can affect the normal function of the tissue in which it occurs, and, in some cancers, may result in the growth of tumours. There are over 200 different types of cancer, and in the UK 1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime.
Individuals with cancer can experience a wide range of nutritional problems, including poor appetite, nausea, pain, taste changes, increased nutritional requirements, malabsorption, and/or swallowing problems. Some of these issues can be caused by the cancer itself, while some are due to the effects of treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery). These nutritional problems may mean individuals are unable to meet their nutritional needs, and malnutrition can result.
Food provides us with energy (calories) and nutrients – the substances the body needs to enable us to function every day. No single food provides us with the right mixture of these nutrients, which is why we need to try and eat a varied balanced diet to keep well.
Meeting nutritional requirements for some people with cancer can be challenging; it is very important to maintain a healthy weight and prevent weight loss throughout cancer treatment as much as possible. Good nutrition can help to boost an individual’s strength and resilience against infections and illnesses and support your body through treatment.
Getting adequate nutrition from diet alone can be challenging when people are experiencing side effects of cancer or its treatment. Healthcare professionals may prescribe oral nutritional supplements for those who cannot get adequate nutrition from diet alone. Oral nutritional supplements are specially designed to meet the nutritional needs of those with disease related malnutrition. They provide additional energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. They come in a range of flavours and formats including milkshakes, juice style, yoghurt style, powders and desserts.
For those who have cancer and find it difficult to eat and drink enough the following might help:
- Eating small frequent nutritious meals, rather than fewer larger meals which can feel overwhelming when your appetite is poor.
- Maximising intake during times of the day when you are feeling well or have the best appetite.
- Having snacks and milky drinks between meals.
- Choosing high calorie snacks, like cakes, cheese and crackers, nuts and dried fruit, toast with peanut butter.
- Adding full fat milk, butter, cream, or cheese to sauces, soups, drinks and desserts.
- Avoiding strong smelling foods when experiencing nausea, often cold foods are better tolerated.
- Choosing moist, soft foods and adding extra sauces if necessary when experiencing a dry and/or sore mouth.