Doctors own experience with cancer influenced supplement nutritional drink

Most doctors in the United States get less than 20 hours of training in nutrition during their stint in medical school.  If asked, many doctors would rather refer their patients to a nutritionist, than give their patients nutritional advice.  Many doctors understand how to treat the symptom, but lack an overall understanding about healthy habits that could help their patients avoid diseases.

Food provided during hospital stays show how large of a disconnect there is between doctors and nutrition.  This problem is not just within the United States.  A study in the United Kingdom reported that 40 percent of elderly hospital admissions are undernourished, and half are severely undernourished.  Most of these patients lose weight following admission, not just because of their disease, but because of further nutritional shortcomings in hospital food.  The study also found that 40 percent of the food given to the patient remains on the plate.

Dr. Andrew Abraham shares how his own experience with cancer influenced his nutritional understanding and beliefs

Many hospitals will offer your loved ones a supplemental nutrition drink if they are not consuming enough at mealtime.  Sadly, these drinks contain ingredients such as corn sweeteners, processed dairy, sugar and processed soy proteins, meaning that these drinks also lack nutrition.

One doctor experienced the significance of this problem when faced with his own cancer diagnosis.  Dr. Andrew Abraham was diagnosed with cancer and spent substantial time in the hospital.  He reports, “I was drinking nutritional products that were given to me by my doctor, so I truly was convinced that these were nutritious products.”  After researching these products more, he realized that these drinks were full of unhealthy ingredients, and he set out to offer a nutritious option for hospitals and patients.

Dr. Abraham  explains, “For me, high quality nutrition is critical because I feel that it really saved my life.” He was able to fully heal his body after his fight with cancer and then he and his wife, Kathy, who is a holistic nutritionist, built a company: Orgain.  Orgain offers supplemental nutrition drinks and protein powders made with organic and plant-based protein, such as hemp.   The company offers both vegan and dairy formulas.  The products are designed for those who rely on nutritional shakes for medical reasons, or for healthy people seeking a meal replacement option.

High quality nutrition shown to shorten hospital stays and save approximately $1,064 per patient!

Several studies have documented the impact of what happens when patients receive high-quality nutritional care.  A survey conducted in 19 hospitals found that those who receive high quality nutrition, average approximately 12.2 days in the hospital.  Those who receive medium nutrition, average 14 days hospitalized.  Those who receive low quality nutrition, average 14.4 days.  The survey showed that 7.5 percent of these patients who receive low quality nutrition are at risk for malnutrition.  By providing high quality nutrition to patients, this would create an estimated net savings of $1,064 per patient.

Most of the the nutrition drinks on the market today contain a host of unhealthy ingredients, many of which are GMO and others that are directly related to lifestyle diseases.

An ingredient list from a popular brand includes the following primary ingredients:

Water, corn maltodextrin, sugar, milk protein concentrate, soy oil, soy protein isolate, sucromalt [a sugar substitute made by Cargill], cocoa powder (processed with alkali), canola oil [plus a range of vitamins and minerals].

And another popular brand has an ingredient list that begins like this:

Water, corn syrup, sugar, milk protein concentrate, and less than 2% of vegetable oil (canola, high oleic sunflower, corn), soy protein isolate [plus a range of vitamins and minerals].

What’s so bad about these ingredients?

• Corn sweeteners: Corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are linked to increased blood sugar levels, higher incidence of diabetes and obesity. Corn sweeteners are almost always made from GMO corn.
• Processed dairy: whey protein, which is great for increasing the protein content of a beverage, is arguably not that healthy for us. Dairy protein is acidic for the body, and unless it is organic and cold-processed, it’s often heat treated, which zaps vital nutrients from the whey.
• Sugar: In the past few years, doctors and researchers have realized the very serious side effects of a sugar-laden diet. It’s linked to obesity and diabetes and offers no nutritional value to our bodies.
• Processed soy proteins: When eaten whole, soybeans and whole food derivatives like tofu, tempeh and miso, can be a very helpful part of your diet. But when extracted and utilized in a piecemeal fashion, such as soy protein and soybean oil, soy loses much of its healthful properties and can lead to health issues.

So Dr. Abraham has set out to change the world of nutrition drinks.