Improvement in Nutritional Status of Protein-Malnutrition Elderly after Intervention Using a Casein-Based Balanced Liquid Nutrition Formula as Nutritional Support

Abstract

A nutritional intervention for 8 weeks was conducted in the elderly (>65 y) living in nursing homes in Shanghai, who showed body weight within the normal range but albumin levels of <35 g/L. The intervened took 400 kcal/day of a balanced liquid nutrition formula containing casein as a major protein source (90% of total protein) in addition to their daily diets, while the non-intervened took only daily diets. Daily diet intakes during the trial were 1738 ± 240 kcal/day in the intervened and 1612 ± 187 kcal/day in the non-intervened. The energy intake in the intervened wascompensated for by reducing their daily diets, which resulted in a similar level to that in the non-intervened. This intervention resulted in intakes of protein and carbohydrate being significantly increased: P16.4%, F27.3%, C56.3% in the intervened; P13.0%, F36.3%, C50.7% in the non-intervened. Albumin level of the intervened increased from 32.7 ± 3.1 g/L to 37.3 ± 1.9 g/L, while it did not significantly change in the non-intervened: 30.0 ± 4.2 g/L to 31.3 ± 4.6 g/L. Using GNRI (geriatric nutritional risk index), nutritional risk levels were assessed; GNRI of the intervened significantly improved from 88.7 ± 6.3 (intermediate risk) to 95.7 ± 4.5 (low risk), while its status did not change in the non-intervened: 84.6 ± 7.7 (intermediate risk) to 86.5 ± 7.9 (intermediate risk). The intervention using a casein-based balanced liquid nutrition formula effectively improved protein-malnutrition in the elderly. This result suggests that a casein-based balanced liquid nutrition formula is an effective nutrition source that can be applied to a nutritional program to improve malnutrition of the elderly.