As you age, keeping track of what you put into your body becomes more important. Ensure and Boost are nutritional supplements packed with essential vitamins, nutrients, calcium, protein, and more. They help seniors maintain a healthy weight and feel full. Below, we’ll explore these nutrition shakes in more detail.
Nutritional Needs of a Senior
As seniors age, it becomes more common to experience decreased appetite and weight loss. While a balanced diet of carbohydrates, B vitamins, protein, and other necessary nutrients is essential, many older adults are at risk for malnutrition due to decreased appetite. This makes reaching nutritional goals difficult. Protein shakes can act as a supplement to ensure they get the necessary calories.
An Overview of Ensure and Boost
Ensure and Boost are nutrient-dense nutritional drinks that contain vitamins and minerals. The provide enough calories to supplement nutrition, sometimes acting as meal replacements when individuals have trouble consuming enough calories.
Ensure
A popular nutritional drink, Ensure was founded in 1974 as a gluten-free option containing vitamins, minerals, calories, and macronutrients. It was developed to help those who struggle to put weight on or consume regular, well-balanced meals. Ensure stands out because it comes in various options to cater to specific needs, see the expansive list below:
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Ensure Enlive for daily energy and mental clarity.
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Ensure Original Nutrition for adults over the age of 50.
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Ensure Complete Nutrition for full meal replacement.
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Ensure High Protein, Pudding, Fiber, and Complete nutrition for maximum protein consumption.
Benefits of Ensure
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High-calorie count: Those who need to gain weight can rely on Ensure’s essential nutrients to feel satiated and to assist with weight gain or maintenance.
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Builds muscle: The high-quality protein supports healthy muscle mass and strength for older adults. Both healthy muscle and strength are essential in maintaining optimal function while aging.
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Promotes healthy digestion: Some varieties include dietary Fiber to ease constipation.
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Simple for on-the-go: Ensure is easier and quicker to consume than solid food.
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It is accessible to those with swallowing difficulties. Some individuals have difficulty consuming enough calories due to swallowing challenges; a nutritional shake/drink can be helpful in these scenarios.
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A vegan option: Ensure has a 100% plant-based, nutrient-dense option.
Potential Side Effects of Ensure
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Potential nutrient overload: Ensure may be too jam-packed with nutrients for some seniors. Follow your healthcare professional’s guidance to track nutrition information.
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Allergies: People who are sensitive to certain ingredients, such as milk proteins, soy, or corn, may struggle with this product. Again, follow your healthcare provider’s guidance.
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Gastrointestinal upset: Some individuals may experience constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and other digestive side effects with Ensure. These often subside after a few days of regular use.
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Contraindications: For those taking blood-thinning drugs like Warfarin, it’s best to avoid drinking nutritional shakes. Most of these products pack more than 20% of the recommended daily amount for Vitamin K, which may disrupt the action of your medication.
Boost
Boost is another leading nutritional drink that goes along well with a healthy diet. Boost also helps individuals consume enough calories, nutrients, and vitamins. Like Ensure, Boost has various options to cater to your needs. Its varieties include:
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Boost Very High Protein for maximum protein support.
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Boost Original for caloric supplementation.
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Boost Glucose Control is formulated for individuals with diabetes.
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Boost Weight Gain for weight management support.
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Boost Original Nutrition for adults 50+ to offer nutrients targeted at aging.
Benefits of Boost
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Adequate nutrition for adults: This includes the recommended grams of protein, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and other daily nutritional requirements.
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High-calorie intake: For adults who struggle to put on or maintain their weight, Boost provides adequate calories to support muscle mass and strength.
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Added Fiber: This helps adults experience smoother digestion while avoiding constipation.
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Convenience: Boost is simple and convenient. Adequate nutrition is provided in an easy to drink format.
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Accessibility for those with swallowing difficulty. Like Ensure, Boost provides nutritional support to individuals that have difficulty swallowing.
Potential Side Effects of Boost
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Nutrient overload: Just like Ensure, Boost can provide too many nutrients. Consult with your healthcare provider to receive guidance on what's best for you.
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Contraindications: All nutritional drinks should be used cautiously for those taking medications like Warfarin or Coumadin due to their high level of Vitamin K. Again, discuss with your health care provider.
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Digestive health concerns: Some people may experience constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and other digestive side effects, but most go away after regular use.
How Ensure and Boost Can Help Manage Swallowing Difficulties
Swallowing difficulty, known as dysphagia, is common among older adults and can result from a range of age-related changes. For those who suffer from dysphagia, certain foods or liquids may be challenging—or even impossible—to swallow.
Causes of Dysphagia
Several factors contribute to dysphagia in older adults, including:
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Muscle loss: With age, people experience a decrease in muscle mass and elasticity, which weakens the muscles involved in swallowing.
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Dry mouth: Reduced saliva production is common with aging, causing dryness in the mouth and throat, making swallowing difficult.
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Reduced tongue strength: The tongue’s ability to generate force declines with age, slowing the swallowing process.
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Increased risk of medical conditions: Conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and certain cancers can directly impact swallowing.
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Medications: Some medications contribute to dry mouth, reduced appetite, and coordination challenges.
Symptoms of Dysphagia
Signs of swallowing difficulties may include:
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Coughing or choking when eating or drinking.
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A wet or gurgling voice during or after meals.
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Extra effort or time is needed to chew or swallow.
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Liquids leaking from the mouth or feeling lodged in the throat.
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Frequent pneumonia or chest congestion after eating.
Supporting Nutrition for Those with Dysphagia
Boost and Ensure products are excellent options for ensuring older adults get the antioxidants and vitamins they need since these drinks are easy to consume for those with teeth loss, dental decay, or post-operative needs.
They’re often gentler for those with dysphagia, providing essential nutrients without chewing. These beverages offer a quick and easy way for individuals with dysphagia to receive the necessary calories and nutrients with minimal discomfort.
Tips for Managing Swallowing Difficulties
Below are some tips and strategies to ease swallowing and improve comfort for those with dysphagia:
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Choose soft, easy-to-chew, and swallow foods: Options like nutrition shakes, yogurt, peanut butter, pureed vegetables, and thickened soups are gentle on the throat and easy to consume.
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Sip water with drier foods: Drinking water can help prevent foods like bread or crackers from sticking in the throat.
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Limit drying agents: Reduce the intake of coffee, caffeinated drinks, and medications that may cause dryness.
How to Add Ensure or Boost into a Senior Diet
Before buying either drink, it’s essential to consult with a dietitian or healthcare professional to discuss the following:
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Individual health needs.
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Current diet and daily nutrient intake.
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Medical history.
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Current medication.
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An assessment for lactose intolerance.
Alternatives to Supplement Drinks
If you have concerns about any ingredients in nutritional drinks, you can work with a dietician to create an individualized plan. You can also supplement with vitamins such as Vitamin D, iron, and Omega 3- fatty acids. As with any adjustment to your health regimen, discuss with your healthcare provider to keep on top of your weight management and overall well-being.
Get Ensure & Boost at Parentgiving
If you’re ready to try Ensure or Boost after talking to a healthcare professional, save a trip to the grocery store and visit Parentgiving online. We have a wide selection of nutritional drinks, incontinence products, and education for those aging in place and their families.
Reviewed By: Katie Pescatello
Katie Pescatello, RN, MSN, FNP-C Katie Pescatello earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Simmons University, where she also taught pharmacology in the Master's program for several years. She has worked as a nurse practitioner in skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, and hospitals. She is passionate about providing individuals with the tools to make informed decisions. While working as a Hospitalist in several Boston area hospitals, she enjoys writing health content for several online publications, focusing on aging in place and preserving dignity at the end of life. She also acts as a content reviewer for Parentgiving.com.
