Tube feeding moves toward plant-based and personalization, as COVID-19 accelerates enteral nutrition

11 Feb 2022 --- Demand for enteral nutrition increased across the UK as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as patients required tube feeding, the British Specialist Nutrition Association (BSNA) highlights.

Offerings across the space are evolving to address demands for personalized and plant-based approaches to tackle malnutrition. In line with Feeding Tube Awareness Week, NutritionInsight speaks to BSNA and plant-based nutrition provider Kate Farms on these evolving trends.

“Tube feeding for those who need it is a lifeline to ensure adequate nutrition, both macro and micronutrients, to prevent malnutrition and other complications,” says Declan O’Brien, BSNA director-general.

Absent awarenessFeeding tubes are required when nutrient requirements cannot be met by regular food intake.
Up to 12,000 COVID-19 patients were estimated to be on tube feeds across the UK during the height of the pandemic, BSNA notes. Providing nasogastric tube feeds was, therefore, essential to avoid malnutrition and dehydration, helping patients recover from the virus.

Taking place from February 7 to 11, the aim behind Feeding Tube Awareness Week is to promote the benefits of feeding tubes as lifesaving medical interventions, spreading awareness and providing education. 

“Nutrition plays a vital role in improving overall health and immunity. For patients who are unable to eat or have impaired digestion, tube feeding can improve their nutritional status, wound healing and enhance their overall quality of life,” says Cynthia Ambres, chief medical officer of Kate Farms.

Falling short on naturality
According to Ambres, there has been “an explosion of liquid nutrition options, but many fall short on natural ingredients that actually improve health status.”

Formulas in the medical nutrition space are often not well regulated for efficacy, she adds. 

“For example, there are no rules against additives and no minimum requirements for essential vitamins and minerals. Some contain poor-quality ingredients, like corn syrup, while others have protein sources that may trigger intolerances like dairy or whey,” Ambres comments.

Research and innovation across the medical nutrition industry has led companies to develop tube feeds to meet a wider range of conditions and to offer more choice to the consumer, O’Brien adds. 

“Providing patients with personalized feeds can be an important way to support their nutritional status. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a huge increase in demand for high-protein feeds.”Avoiding malnutrition and dehydration can help patients recover from viruses.  

Plant-based platforms in spotlight
Ambres notes that demand for plant-based nutrition in healthcare is growing. “Throughout the pandemic, the need for more high-quality plant-based nutrition skyrocketed, and we’re seeing continued demand within the medical community as we face ongoing concerns around COVID-19 and variants.”

Abbott last year launched a portfolio of plant-based proteins and organic food ingredients for the estimated 500,000 US consumers whose medical conditions require them to rely on tube feeding. 

Studies also support plant-based nutrition can be an effective tool for preventing, managing and even reversing some chronic conditions, she adds.

“Nonetheless, healthful plant-based options are often missing in hospitals and health systems.”

Lack of awareness leads to malnutrition
O’Brien notes that lack of awareness of tube feeding extends to malnutrition, as well as the effects on recovery, cost and capacity to the UK’s National Health System (NHS). This is not recognized in training or care pathways, he notes. 

“Three million people are affected by malnutrition in the UK, with many of them facing serious and long-term medical conditions. As the government looks to reform health and social care, it’s important that it also re-examines how integrated care can lead to improved identification and treatment of malnutrition.”

The risks of malnutrition in COVID-19 patients was previously highlighted by NZMP, which highlighted every patient should be screened for the presence of malnutrition.

Similarly, a survey by Nutricia, Danone’s medical nutrition arm, showed that nutritional challenges and functional impairments are frequent in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

“For those patients who rely on them, tube feeds make it possible for them to receive appropriate access to the nutrition they need to live and avoid becoming malnourished,” BSNA highlights.

By Andria Kades