Health Articles & Information

Meal Replacement

Meal replacement drinks and bars can provide you with proper nutrition, as this article explains ...

My grandmother is getting quite old. She has a number of health problems and is having a difficult time preparing meals for herself. She is living in an apartment where she is provided one meal a day in a communal dining room, but she does not always have the energy or desire to prepare additional meals for herself. The doctor is concerned about the amount of weight that she has lost so he has suggested that we buy her meal replacement drinks to supplement the meal that she is provided. 

My grandmother is a very stubborn woman. She remembers when my grandfather drank supplement drinks prior to his death and how awful he said they tasted. We tried to explain that there is a greater variety of meal replacement drinks available today, but she wanted nothing to do with them. My uncle decided that he would trick my grandmother into using the meal replacement drinks. She has always liked milk shakes and malts. She does not have them very often because she is borderline diabetic. One day my uncle got a glass from the local dairy queen and filled it with strawberry flavored meal replacement, which he had blended with fresh berries and ice. He brought the supplemental drink to my grandmother and she drank it all. She thanked him for bringing her the treat. When she had finished it he told her what she had just drank. Initially she was angry with him for tricking her, but then decided that he could get her a supply of the meal replacement drinks.

Now my grandmother is getting much stronger and has more energy. It turns out that the greatest part of her problem was that she was under nourished and was taking her medications on an empty stomach. By taking the meal replacement drinks she is getting proper nutrition and is also feeling much better. The supplemental drinks come in a variety of flavors, so even though she is drinking them twice a day she is not getting tired of them. They also have certain products especially formulated for diabetics, which is the one she uses. When I first mentioned to my husband that grandma was supposed to be using meal replacement drinks he thought I meant she needed to lose weight. He has always thought of meal replacement as a means of rapid weight loss. There are meal replacement drinks that people use for weight control, but these have different ingredients than the ones my grandmother uses. There are also meal replacement energy bars for people that prefer to have something to chew. My grandmother has tried some of the bars and has agreed to have a supply of them in her apartment as well.

Meal Replacements Approved By FDA When researching for meal replacements approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration), keep in mind that the main criteria to look for are items that would qualify for a FDA-approved health claim. This is largely due to the fact that a growing number of recognized dietary supplement and nutrition products companies are currently working with Congress to address a concern by America’s aging baby boomers that the increasing cost of providing traditional health care tends to be focused more on disease treatment than health promotion. If legislation is passed on this issue, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would be required to treat certain meal replacement products and dietary supplements as deductible “medical care” expenses. Dietary supplements, meal replacements and meal replacement products approved by FDA for health claim deductions, would include items that are intended to promote weight loss, are low in fat, and provide a good source of protein, fiber and multiple essential vitamins and minerals. Such legislation would represent an important step forward in encouraging individuals to consume nutritious products and to lose weight while enjoying a healthy lifestyle. This is why the proposed legislation ties deductibility to FDA-approved health claims. For example, FDA has officially recognized that soy protein may reduce the risk of heart disease when included in a diet otherwise low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Therefore, meal replacements approved by FDA that are soy protein based should qualify as a permissible medical expense under the tax code because, when combined with other factors, it can lead to the prevention of disease. The argument, then, is that as FDA has recognized the value of meal replacements and certain supplements by approving health claims, so should U.S. tax policy recognize that a number of these products may assist in preventing disease and should, therefore, be tax deductible. The proposed legislation would allow for the classification of products that prevent disease under the tax code, so that if FDA approves a health claim for an ingredient used in a healthy supplement or meal replacement that also promotes weight loss, the tax code would recognize the product as being a medical expenses under Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) rules. Current Approved FDA Health Claims for Food or Supplement Products Full Claims Calcium and osteoporosis—Must contain 20 percent or more of the recommended daily intake (RDI)/ daily reference value (DRV) of the reference amount customarily consumed; calcium must be assimilable and meet USP standards for dissolution and disintegration. Folate and neural tube defects—Must be at least a “good source” of folate, i.e., have between 10 percent and 19 percent of the RDI/DRV; meet USP standards for disintegration and dissolution; and cannot be made for foods that contain more than 100 percent of the RDI for vitamin A as retinol or vitamin D. Plant sterol/stanol esters and coronary heart disease—Must contain 0.65 g plant sterol esters or 1.7 g plant stanol esters, measured per method outlined in regulations, per reference amount customarily consumed. Potentially other health claims related to soy protein and coronary heart disease or soluble fiber and coronary heart disease. All of these claims may have other requirements in order to qualify for the claim. The criteria provided above are for reference about the general amount of the ingredient required. Qualified Claims Selenium and cancer—Must be “high” in selenium, i.e., 20 percent (14 mcg) or more of the RDV. Antioxidant vitamins and cancer—Must contain 20 percent or more of the DRV customarily consumed for vitamins E or C. Omega-3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease—Must contain omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and/or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) but must not recommend or suggest a daily intake exceeding 2 g/d of EPA or DHA. B vitamins and vascular disease—Must contain vitamin B6, B12 and/or folate in amounts sufficient to represent 20 percent of DRV, as well as meet USP standards for disintegration/dissolution. Phosphatidylserine and cognitive dysfunction and dementia— Must contain soy-derived phosphatidylserine of very high purity. 0.8 mg folic acid and neural tube defects—Must contain folic acid that represents at least 20 percent of DRV. All of the above qualified claims must also meet certain general requirements listed in 21 CFR 101.14, with certain exceptions. The criteria listed above are for general reference and are not an exhaustive list of requirements to qualify for the claim. Information about qualified claims may be found at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-qhc.html. Source: www.naturalproductsinsider.com

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This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."