How Liquid Nutrition Can Help Provide Support for Gastrointestinal Issues 

We understand how challenging it can be if you or your loved one experience gastrointestinal (GI) issues.  

Your healthcare team may recommend using liquid nutrition as a supplement or, in some cases, the sole-source of nutrition for a set period of time. Below we share more about specific GI issues and how a liquid diet can help provide nutritional support.  

What is a liquid diet? 

A liquid diet is a therapeutic diet that involves only consuming liquids or foods that can turn into liquids at room temperature, such as creamed soups, or smoothies. It can also include pureed foods, as long as there are no solid pieces of food that would require chewing. Generally speaking, when consuming a liquid diet, opt for liquids that are nutrient-dense.  

Some gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, and celiac disease cause inflammation in the lining of the large intestine — creating damage that can complicate digestion.  

Not surprisingly, these conditions can lead to unintended weight loss and nutritional deficiencies that may worsen the situation. This can then become a negative cycle for many: they’re hesitant to eat or drink anything that may worsen their symptoms, which leads to even more depletion and stress.  

The good news is a liquid diet can help supply your body with the nutrients and protein it needs while you’re experiencing flares.  

Who else can benefit from liquid nutrition?  

Aside from the conditions listed above, a liquid diet may also help provide nutritional support in cases of: 

• Gastroenteritis (inflammation of the GI tract caused by viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections)  

• Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) and peptic ulcers  

• Gastrointestinal surgery  

• Dental or oral surgery  

• Pre- and post-operative care following other types of surgery  

• Cancer treatment  

• Elderly care  

• Nutritional deficiencies and/or poor nutrient absorption  

• Acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) 

How does exclusive enteral nutrition help?  Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is a short-term diet that replaces all food and drink with a specialized liquid nutritional formula designed to be the sole-source of nutrition for around 6-12 weeks, which may be used to address inflammation in active Crohn’s disease in children or adults.  

In some cases, you may have some solid food, but at least 80% of your calories would come from the formula. Adding some solid food would be dependent on your condition and healthcare team's advice.  

It’s often taken orally, or with a tube inserted through the nose or into the gut, to help address active Crohn’s disease.  

While EEN is not an option for all IBD patients, you can discuss it with your gastroenterologist for either yourself or your child if there have been obstacles in meeting your nutritional needs.  

3 final tips for choosing a shake to supplement your meals. 

1. Make it easy, convenient, and tasty. 

Healing is a full-time job in itself and can often be emotionally exhausting. There’s no need to slave over a blender or food processor if that’s causing you additional distress.  

Adding high-quality, liquid meal replacements and shakes can help you meet your nutritional needs in a way that satisfies your taste buds while not upsetting your stomach or compromising your ingredient standards.  

2. Prioritize micronutrients, protein, and fiber. 

It can be challenging to get all the protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals you need from a liquid diet without being intentional.  

Since people with chronic GI conditions often have deficiencies in vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and zinc, it’s crucial to optimize micronutrient intake when using a liquid diet — given these nutrients play a vital role in the healing process. 

3. Avoid artificial sweeteners, additives, and other GI irritants.  

As for anyone dealing with digestive issues, reading ingredient labels is a must.  

Sugar alcohols, gums, and other food additives can actually aggravate your GI tract even more, and excessive added or artificial sugars can pull water into your bowels, thereby contributing to diarrhea.  

For some, dairy can be tough to tolerate during a flare as well. If that’s the case for you, look for lactose free or dairy alternative options (e.g., soy, almond, coconut, rice, etc.)

The content on this site (the “Content”) is provided for information purposes only. Kate Farms has attempted to include information it believes to be reliable and accurate as of the date of this Content. Kate Farms expressly disclaims and makes no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the Content including the accuracy or completeness of the information in this Content. Kate Farms shall have no liability relating to or resulting from the use of this Content. The Content is not intended as a replacement for medical advice, approved practices or policies of a particular physician and/or healthcare facility standards of care, all of which you should consider when using this Content.