Nutritional effects of supplementing liquid-formula diet with dietary fiber on elderly bed-ridden patients.
In the past few decades, the number of bed-ridden elderly patients has been increasing. This group of patients is frequently fed with a liquid formula diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a liquid formula diet containing dietary fiber (DF) for elderly bed-ridden patients. Eighteen elderly, bed-ridden patients were given L-3 Fiber, a DF-containing liquid formula diet (DF-LFD), for 4 weeks, while a number of parameters were monitored, including serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, creatinine, uric acid, glucose, sodium, potassium, and calcium, urine protein/sugar, and defecation frequency. Total protein, albumin and total cholesterol significantly increased following the administration of the DF-LFD, associated with an average increase in body weight of 1.94 kg (5.0%). Defecation frequency significantly increased one week after DF-LFD administration was started, but this effect was transient. Although a few patients complained of nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, no severe side effects were seen. In conclusion, DF-LFD supplementation appears to be beneficial for elderly bed-ridden patients, and can increase nutritional-related parameters, such as body weight, total protein, albumin and total cholesterol, without severe side effects.
Wada
Seiko
S
Department of Nursing, Akita Keijo Junior College, Odate 017-0046, Japan.
Nakaji
Shigeyuki
S
Umeda
Takashi
T
Takahashi
Ippei
I
Oyama
Takao
T
Chinda
Daisuke
D
Sugawara
Kazuo
K
Shimoyama
Tadashi
T
Sakamoto
Juichi
J
Fukuda
Shinsaku
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001510:Bed Rest; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003672:Defecation / Q000187:drug effects; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005526:Food, Formulated / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
D001786:Blood Glucose; D001798:Blood Proteins; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D002784:Cholesterol