Suplementos nutricionales gelatinizados: una alternativa válida para la disfagia / Gelatinous nutritional supplements: a useful alternative in dysphagia

La disfagia orofaríngea es un síndrome muy prevalente en la población mayor, más aún entre ancianos institucionalizados. La causa más frecuente de disfagia son las enfermedades neurodegenerativas y vasculares cerebrales, especialmente la demencia, cuyas fases más avanzadas se acompañan de trastornos de glutorios frecuentes que exigen texturas espesas, tipo pudin en su alimentación. Los suplementos nutricionales de consistencia pudin no están financiados por el sistema de salud, por lo que, encaso de precisar su uso, hay que afrontar su coste o espesarlos suplementos líquidos financiables, habitualmente de forma individualizada, con espesantes comerciales en polvo. Éste es un proceso laborioso, altamente variable en la consistencia obtenida y de apariencia poco homogénea ,por lo que es difícil de aplicar en los centros geriátricos grandes. Presentamos otra forma de usar estos suplementos financiados, mezclándolos con gelatina comercial que permite obtener una apariencia pulida, con textura homogénea y que permanecen estables en su composición y seguros para su consumo durante 5 días (AU)

The oropharingeal dysphagia is a very prevalent syndrome among the elderly, and even more among institutionalized individuals. Dysphagia is frequently caused by neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular conditions, the dementia syndrome being the most common of them, where the latest stages of the process are often accompanied by frequent swallowing problems requiring to incorporate thick foodstuffs in the diet of the elderly, such as the pudding. Nutritional supplements with a pudding like consistency are not financed by the National Health System. Therefore, when they are needed, patients must either pay their full price for them or thicken the liquid supplements financed by the National Health System. This is normally done in an individualized way, through the powder thickeners in the market. It is a very laborious and highly changeable process regarding the resulting consistency, with a poor homogeneous aspect; thus, it is complicated to implement this method in big community dwelling. We here by present a different way to use these financed supplements, this is: mixing them up with commercial jelly resulting in a refined product with a homogeneous texture. These supplements will remain stable in their composition and safe to be used within 5 days (AU)

[Gelatinous nutritional supplements: a useful alternative in dysphagia]. / Suplementos nutricionales gelatinizados: una alternativa válida para la disfagia.

The oropharingeal dysphagia is a very prevalent syndrome among the elderly, and even more among institutionalized individuals. Dysphagia is frequently caused by neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular conditions, the dementia syndrome being the most common of them, where the latest stages of the process are often accompanied by frequent swallowing problems requiring to incorporate thick foodstuffs in the diet of the elderly, such as the pudding. Nutritional supplements with a puddinglike consistency are not financed by the National Health System. Therefore, when they are needed, patients must either pay their full price for them or thicken the liquid supplements financed by the National Health System. This is normally done in an individualized way, through the powder thickeners in the market. It is a very laborious and highly changeable process regarding the resulting consistency, with a poor homogeneous aspect; thus, it is complicated to implement this method in big community dwelling. We hereby present a different way to use these financed supplements, this is: mixing them up with commercial jelly resulting in a refined product with a homogeneous texture. These supplements will remain stable in their composition and safe to be used within 5 days.

Bioavailability, biodistribution, and toxicity of BioZn-AAS(1): a new zinc source. comparative studies in rats.

Food fortification with a proper zinc compound is an economic and effective strategy to prevent zinc deficiency. BioZn-AAS, a zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine, was compared with zinc sulfate (reference standard), zinc hydroxide, and zinc gluconate, all of them labeled with (65)Zn. This preclinical study was performed on Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes, and the administered dose was 85 microg/kg of zinc. Bioavailability studies showed that absorption of BioZn-AAS was not statistically different than absorption from other sources in female rats (25.65% +/- 2.20% for BioZn-AAS, 28.24% +/- 4. 60% for ZnSO(4), 24.91% +/- 4.02% for Zn[OH](2), and 25.51% +/- 2. 70% for Zn-gluconate). In the case of the male rats, absorption of BioZn-AAS (27.97% +/- 4.20%) was higher (P<0.05) than that from the other compounds (23.15% +/- 2.90% for ZnSO(4), 22.62% +/- 3.90% for Zn[OH](2), and 22.30% +/- 3.90% for Zn-gluconate). Biodistribution studies demonstrated that the zinc from BioZn-AAS followed the same metabolic pathway as zinc from the other sources. Toxicity studies were performed with 50 female and 50 male rats. The value of oral lethal dose 50 (LD(50)) was 2000 mg/kg for female rats and 1900 mg/kg for male rats. Therefore, we conclude that BioZn-AAS has adequate properties to be considered a proper zinc compound for food fortification or dietary supplementation.

Study of industrial microencapsulated ferrous sulfate by means of the prophylactic-preventive method to determine its bioavailability.

Radio-iron tests are frequently used to measure the bioavailability of different iron sources for food fortification. As the labeling procedures must be done under laboratory conditions, complementary studies should be carried out to evaluate the bioavailability of iron sources produced on an industrial scale. The iron bioavailability of SFE-171 (ferrous sulfate microencapsulated with phospholipids) was studied in previous reports using the compounds labeled with 59Fe and 55Fe; the results showed an iron bioavailability similar to that of ferrous sulfate. In the present work, the iron bioavailability of industrial SFE-171 was studied by the prophylactic-preventive method in rats using ferrous sulfate as the reference standard. Elemental iron powder was also studied by the same method for comparative purposes. The liver iron concentration of each animal was determined at the end of the experiment in order to evaluate the influence of each iron source on the liver iron stores. Relative biological values of 98 and 34% were found for SFE-171 and elemental iron powder, respectively, while the corresponding relative liver iron concentrations were 104 and 45%. The results provided by the prophylactic-preventive method show that the iron bioavailability of industrial SFE-171 is similar to that of ferrous sulfate; these results are also in agreement to those obtained with the radioactive compounds. We can conclude that the SFE-171 obtained by industrial procedures for massive use in iron food fortification has the same bioavailability as that of the SFE-171 produced and labeled under laboratory conditions.

[Zinc: concepts on an essential micronutrient]. / Cinc: conceptos actuales sobre un micronutriente esencial.

It is now well known that zinc is an essential micronutrient. Even though much information is available, there are many points that remain to be studied. zinc is absorbed by the intestine and transported in the plasma by albumin, forming a small exchangeable pool, which is rapidly exhausted even in cases of mild deficiency. zinc is essential for the activity of about 70 enzymes among other functions. Therefore, zinc deficiency produces a great number of clinical disorders, the symptoms of which may range between mild up to serious dysfunctions. These problems are corrected by a dietary supplementation with zinc. The lack of a reliable method to determine the zinc nutritional status reflects the problem to estimate the metal recommended dietary allowances, which are difficulty met specially by children, old persons and pregnant women which constitute the main risk groups. Although our knowledge concerning zinc toxicity is scarce, it is well known that the amounts of zinc that produces toxic effects are much higher than those that are contained in regular diets as well as in diets supplemented with this metal. Therefore, the need of the development of effective strategies, like food fortification with proper zinc compounds, appears as an attractive alternative in order to prevent and/or correct the deficiency of this vital element and to improve the health and the life quality of the whole population.

Cinc: conceptos actuales sobre un micronutriente esencial. / [Zinc: concepts on an essential micronutrient]

It is now well known that zinc is an essential micronutrient. Even though much information is available, there are many points that remain to be studied. zinc is absorbed by the intestine and transported in the plasma by albumin, forming a small exchangeable pool, which is rapidly exhausted even in cases of mild deficiency. zinc is essential for the activity of about 70 enzymes among other functions. Therefore, zinc deficiency produces a great number of clinical disorders, the symptoms of which may range between mild up to serious dysfunctions. These problems are corrected by a dietary supplementation with zinc. The lack of a reliable method to determine the zinc nutritional status reflects the problem to estimate the metal recommended dietary allowances, which are difficulty met specially by children, old persons and pregnant women which constitute the main risk groups. Although our knowledge concerning zinc toxicity is scarce, it is well known that the amounts of zinc that produces toxic effects are much higher than those that are contained in regular diets as well as in diets supplemented with this metal. Therefore, the need of the development of effective strategies, like food fortification with proper zinc compounds, appears as an attractive alternative in order to prevent and/or correct the deficiency of this vital element and to improve the health and the life quality of the whole population.

Microencapsulated ferrous sulfate to fortify cow milk: absorption and distribution in mice.

To determine the absorption and biodistribution of iron from microencapsulated ferrous sulfate (SFE-171), used to fortify dairy products with iron, a comparative study in four groups of 30 mice each was carried out. In two of the groups, the absorption of iron from ferrous ascorbate in water (13.3 +/- 4.3%) and from ferrous sulfate in water (12.7 +/- 3.9%) was determined and taken as reference standards. In the third group the iron absorption from SFE-171 in milk was determined, giving a value of 12.1 +/- 4.2%, which statistically does not differ from the data obtained with either reference standard. In the fourth group, the absorption of iron from ferrous sulfate in milk showed a value of 7.7 +/- 3.4%, which statistically differs with a p < 0.01 from the data corresponding to the other three groups. The biodistribution studies showed that the iron from the SFE-171 follows the same metabolic pathway as the iron from the reference standards thus, giving a higher radioactivity percentage and radioactivity concentration in organs or systems, principally blood, that are closely related to iron metabolism. Our studies allow us to conclude that the iron from SFE-171 in milk follows the same behavior as the nonhemic iron, with a higher absorption than that of ferrous sulfate in milk.