Recently, I was asked to recommend high calorie drinks for an adult who had extreme weight loss and digestion issues following colostomy surgery. I have the most incredible and knowledgeable Facebook community, so I asked them for advice, and the answers came flooding in. All of these products are gluten-free, and some are hypo-allergenic.
Elecare and Neocate are hypo-allergenic, elemental (amino acid based) products. I contacted Neocate and was advised of a product called Duocal, which is specifically for additional calories for weight gain. It’s a powder you dissolve in drinks or sprinkle on your own food, which is flavorless and not gritty. Since it contains no protein, just carbohydrate and fat, it’s not allergenic. The ingredients are: Hydrolyzed cornstarch, blend of refined vegetable oils (corn, coconut), medium chain triglycerides (fractionated coconut oil, palm kernel oil), mono and diglycerides, diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides.
Some medical plans will provide reimbursement support when these products are medically necessary. General information is here and a sample Doctor’s letter seeking medical insurance coverage for Duocal use is here.
Neocate also provides a protein product in elemental form. They recommended The Complete Amino Acid Mix, which contains all 22 amino acids. I found it interesting that the majority of the amino acids are synthetically derived, and only a few are from plant sources. You may contact Neocate to request samples.
In addition, Nutricia EO28 Splash was recommended, which is an elemental, hypo-allergenic, nutritionally complete ready to drink medical food. It’s recommended for gastrointestinal tract impairment, cow and soy milk allergy, multiple food protein intolerance, eosinophilic esophagitis (EE), gastroesophageal reflux disease, short bowel syndrome, and other medical conditions for which an amino acid-based diet is required.
There were other options given, if you don’t need something that’s hypo-allergenic. They are:
- Ensure Plus (contains milk and soy ingredients) Ingredient list here.
- Boost Plus (contains milk and soy ingredients) Ingredients here.
- Protein shakes – Try hemp milk with hemp protein powder, which is high in protein, well tolerated, and non-allergenic.
- Adding 1 tbs of olive oil to drinks, which adds 120 calories.
As always, I find myself grateful for the Onespot Allergy Facebook group. Thank you to everyone who contributed suggestions!
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