Food Hospital - Elemental Diet

[herbsandhelpers]

Food Hospital - Elemental Diet

An elemental diet is a liquid-only diet where nutritional intake is met through the consumption of specially prepared liquid meals. These contain special proteins, fats and carbohydrates that can be absorbed without digestion. Elemental diets are similar to polymeric diets apart from the fact that they provide nutrients in simple forms, containing individual amino acids and glucose polymers, as opposed to the intact proteins and more complex carbohydrates found in polymeric diets.

Elemental diets ensure that the patient continues to receive all of the nutrients their body needs to function correctly whilst giving their digestive system time to rest and recuperate. However, you should only follow this diet on a short-to-medium term basis.

This type of diet may be suitable for people experiencing particularly severe symptoms of Crohn’s disease or who are showing signs of malnutrition. It may also be recommended for patients preparing for surgery, radiology or colonoscopy.