Frontiers in Nutrition (Nov 2023)

A multi-center prospective study of plant-based nutritional support in adult community-based patients at risk of disease-related malnutrition

  • Marta Delsoglio,
  • Corbin Griffen,
  • Rakshan Syed,
  • Tobias Cookson,
  • Hanorah Saliba,
  • Amanda Vowles,
  • Samuel Davies,
  • Nicola Willey,
  • Jennifer Thomas,
  • Nicola Millen,
  • Nour Odeh,
  • Jayne Longstaff,
  • Naomi Westran,
  • Lindsey Allan,
  • Hannah Offer,
  • Chloe Howell,
  • Meg Sanders,
  • Kirsty Gaffigan,
  • Kirby Garrett,
  • Sally Foster,
  • Agnes Salt,
  • Emily Carter,
  • Sarah Moore,
  • Nick Bergin,
  • Jane Roper,
  • Joe Alvarez,
  • Christine Voss,
  • Teresa Connolly,
  • Clare MacDonald,
  • Tracey Thrower,
  • Darren Sills,
  • Janet Baxter,
  • Rhonda Manning,
  • Lynsey Gray,
  • Karen Voas,
  • Scot Richardson,
  • Anne-Marie Hurren,
  • Daniel Murphy,
  • Susan Blake,
  • Paul McArdle,
  • Sinead Walsh,
  • Lucy Booth,
  • Louise Albrich,
  • Sarah Ashley-Maguire,
  • Joanna Allison,
  • Sarah Brook,
  • Rebecca Capener,
  • Gary P. Hubbard,
  • Rebecca J. Stratton,
  • Rebecca J. Stratton

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1297624
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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IntroductionThere is an emerging need for plant-based, vegan options for patients requiring nutritional support.MethodsTwenty-four adults at risk of malnutrition (age: 59 years (SD 18); Sex: 18 female, 6 male; BMI: 19.0 kg/m2 (SD 3.3); multiple diagnoses) requiring plant-based nutritional support participated in a multi-center, prospective study of a (vegan suitable) multi-nutrient, ready-to-drink, oral nutritional supplement (ONS) [1.5 kcal/mL; 300 kcal, 12 g protein/200 mL bottle, mean prescription 275 mL/day (SD 115)] alongside dietary advice for 28 days. Compliance, anthropometry, malnutrition risk, dietary intake, appetite, acceptability, gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance, nutritional goal(s), and safety were assessed.ResultsPatients required a plant-based ONS due to personal preference/variety (33%), religious/cultural reasons (28%), veganism/reduce animal-derived consumption (17%), environmental/sustainability reasons (17%), and health reasons (5%). Compliance was 94% (SD 16). High risk of malnutrition (‘MUST’ score ≥ 2) reduced from 20 to 16 patients (p = 0.046). Body weight (+0.6 kg (SD 1.2), p = 0.02), BMI (+0.2 kg/m2 (SD 0.5), p = 0.03), total mean energy (+387 kcal/day (SD 416), p < 0.0001) and protein intake (+14 g/day (SD 39), p = 0.03), and the number of micronutrients meeting the UK reference nutrient intake (RNI) (7 vs. 14, p = 0.008) significantly increased. Appetite (Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) score; p = 0.13) was maintained. Most GI symptoms were stable throughout the study (p > 0.06) with no serious adverse events related.DiscussionThis study highlights that plant-based nutrition support using a vegan-suitable plant-based ONS is highly complied with, improving the nutritional outcomes of patients at risk of malnutrition.

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