A liquid nutritional product comprising a fat source and a dietary fiber system. The dietary fiber system as a whole comprises by weight: (a) 5% to 50% dietary fiber which is both soluble and fermentable, 5% to 20% dietary fiber which is both soluble and non-fermentable, and 45% to 80% dietary fiber which is both insoluble and non-fermentable. Less than 10% of the total calories in the product comprise saturated fatty acids, no more than 10% of the total calories in the product comprises polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the ratio of the n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in the product being in the range of 2 to 10. Preferably the dietary fiber which is both soluble and fermentable is gum arabic; the fiber which is both soluble and non-fermentable is sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and the fiber which is both insoluble and non-fermentable is oat hull fiber.
An edible fatty acid triglyceride mixture contains from 50% to 70% by weight monounsaturated fatty acids, up to 10% by weight saturated fatty acids, and from 30% to 40% by weight polyunsaturated fatty acids. The polyunsaturated fatty acids include from 0.2% to 1% by weight C18:3,n-6, from 1.5% to 4% by weight C18:,n-3; from 0.1% to 0.5% by weight C18:4,n-3; from 0.2% to 1% by weight C20:5,n-3; and from 0.1% to 0.8% by weight C22:6,n-3. 25% to 35% by weight of the fatty acids of the triglycerides are n-6 fatty acids and the weight ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids is from 4.5:1 to 8.5:1. The triglyceride mixture may be incorporated into a food composition as a fat substitute, e.g., in an amount of from 1% to 80% by weight.
An ingestible rejuvenation composition is injected into an enteral feeding tube to clean remnant food from the tube and decontaminate the tube. The rejuvenation composition includes a carrier, edible acids, enzymes for degrading the remnant food, and an edible antimicrobial agent.
An enteral nutritional product for a person having ulcerative colitis contains in combination (a) an oil blend which contains eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) and/or docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3), and (b) a source of indigestible carbohydrate which is metabolized to short chain fatty acids by microorganisms present in the human colon. Preferably the nutritional product also contains one or more nutrients which act as antioxidants.
Method for lowering viscosity in nutritional compositions containing soy fiber by addition of gum acacia. The composition is preferably nutritionally complete and optionally contains protein, non-fiber carbohydrate, and other nutrients.
