What's Up With Ensure? Isn't It Supposed to be a
Health Food for the Sick?
The first three ingredients in the so-called “pudding” are water, sugar, and corn maltodextrin (a heavily processed starch with a high glycemic index). Yum, yum. Moving on to the ersatz “shake,” the first three ingredients are water, corn maltodextrin (again) and sugar. And as for the alleged nutritional apple-flavored “juice” (which bears the warning “Contains no apple juice”), the main ingredients are water, sugar, and corn syrup solids. For the sake of comparison, a Milky Way candy bar contains 37 grams of total carbohydrate.
The fake “juice” contains 43 grams of total carb, which makes it significantly sweeter than the candy bar. But wait: the “shake” contains a whopping 52 grams. The “pudding” wins the carb battle with a moderate 30 grams, which is approximately the carb equivalent of three-and-a-half Oreo cookies.What the hell is going on here? Why is this stuff being pawned off on the ill and elderly? For that matter, why is the worst food in town found at the hospital, where they dole out high-sodium, high-carb, high-junk-ingredient glop to patients and guests?
The Truth About Ensure
Ensure is a brand by Abbott that makes medical “nutritional shakes and drinks.”[2] It makes big claims to customers such as “#1 Doctor Recommended” and “Worldwide Leader in Nutritional Science” but in reality, their products are as far away from a healthy meal as you can get. Sadly, these products are often given to patients in extremely poor health, who need proper nutrition the most. Instead, when consuming these products they are receiving the following: preservatives, fillers, and chemicals.
To make matters worse, Abbott Nutrition is a member of the notorious pro-GMO organization the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and to date has given nearly a million dollars to fight against GMO labeling in the United States.
Does this sound like the type of company whose products you should be feeding your loved ones? After you see these products, their ingredients, and potential side effects,[3] you’ll have the answer.
Ensure Clear™ Therapeutic Nutrition
The front of the package for Ensure Clear portrays an orange drink with an apple next to it, the back of the package is quick to verify, however: this product “contains no apple juice” or any juice. Instead, its two main ingredients are water and sugar. It also contains the following:
The fake “juice” contains 43 grams of total carb, which makes it significantly sweeter than the candy bar. But wait: the “shake” contains a whopping 52 grams. The “pudding” wins the carb battle with a moderate 30 grams, which is approximately the carb equivalent of three-and-a-half Oreo cookies.What the hell is going on here? Why is this stuff being pawned off on the ill and elderly? For that matter, why is the worst food in town found at the hospital, where they dole out high-sodium, high-carb, high-junk-ingredient glop to patients and guests?
The Truth About Ensure
Ensure is a brand by Abbott that makes medical “nutritional shakes and drinks.”[2] It makes big claims to customers such as “#1 Doctor Recommended” and “Worldwide Leader in Nutritional Science” but in reality, their products are as far away from a healthy meal as you can get. Sadly, these products are often given to patients in extremely poor health, who need proper nutrition the most. Instead, when consuming these products they are receiving the following: preservatives, fillers, and chemicals.
To make matters worse, Abbott Nutrition is a member of the notorious pro-GMO organization the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and to date has given nearly a million dollars to fight against GMO labeling in the United States.
Does this sound like the type of company whose products you should be feeding your loved ones? After you see these products, their ingredients, and potential side effects,[3] you’ll have the answer.
Ensure Clear™ Therapeutic Nutrition
The front of the package for Ensure Clear portrays an orange drink with an apple next to it, the back of the package is quick to verify, however: this product “contains no apple juice” or any juice. Instead, its two main ingredients are water and sugar. It also contains the following:
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Toxins, Chemicals, and Pesticides
Corn Syrup Solids:
Are made of dehydrated corn syrup, which is 100% glucose, a type of sugar that adds to the risk of obesity. Corn syrup is also almost always made from GMO corn and has been linked to diabetes, and cancer.[4,5]
Cupric Sulfate:
Is actually a pesticide and fungicide that is toxic and can cause gastrointestinal issues, anemia, and even death at high doses. It is also genotoxic, meaning it can cause the cells to mutate due to genetic damage.[6]
Chromium Chloride:
Is toxic[7] and has negative effects on the reproductive system for both men and women, stomach problems, abnormal bleeding, and ulcers.
Sodium Selenite:
Is a toxic ingredient produced as a byproduct of copper metal refining. Yet, it is often labeled as a “nutrient.” The Environmental Protection Agency has classified it as dangerous.[8]
Natural and Artificial Flavors:
Can include a row of different chemicals, often derived from inorganic sources, and are harmful to health, adding to the contributions for illnesses in the whole body, including different types of cancers.
Synthetic Vitamins:
While our bodies, especially when sick, do require a lot of vitamins, there is a huge difference between natural vitamins derived from food or natural sources, versus synthetic vitamins. Unfortunately, the vitamins contained in Ensure products and other commercialized “health” foods and supplements are almost always synthetic and are manufactured with chemicals.[9] Generally speaking, when a new study comes out that claims that some vitamin is toxic at high levels, it is because only the synthetic version of it has been studied, yet it gets lumped together with natural vitamins.
Synthetics do not get absorbed by the body in the same way as natural vitamins because they have been “isolated” – they are separated from the entire vitamin complex and trace minerals and enzymes. What a synthetic vitamin is lacking, the body tries to make up for by itself and depletes its existing nutrients in the process.[10]
“This process results in an overall negative health effect while minimizing any gains that could have been achieved by the supplement,” accordingto “Nutri-Con: The Truth about Vitamins & Supplements” report by The Hippocrates Health Institute.
Other ingredients include:
Dl-Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate:
Is a synthetic kind of Vitamin E. Not only is the synthetic kind only 12% as effective as natural Vitamin E, it is often created as a byproduct of a petrochemical dependent manufacturing process.[11,12] It also has been associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, DNA damage, and other adverse effects.[13]
Ferrous Sulfate:
A synthetic form of iron, and can cause constipation, nausea, allergic reactions, and gastrointestinal issues.[14]
Niacinamide:
Is a synthetic form of vitamin B3 and its side effects[15] include a few dozen conditions, including liver failure.
Manganese Sulfate:
Is made “from the reaction between manganese oxide and sulfuric acid” and is often is used in paints and varnishes, fertilizers and fungicides, and ceramic, besides medicines (manganese itself is a mineral).
Calcium Pantothenate:
Is a synthetic substance made from pantothenic acid, trying to mimic natural vitamin B5.
Vitamin A Palmitate:
Is a synthetic form of vitamin A, which like many others above can cause liver damage and stomach issues.
Zinc Sulfate: is an organic form of zinc and can be toxic to cells, as well as dangerous to the environment.
Sodium Molybdate:
Is a chemical form of sodium, and it has shown to have negative effects on fertility in animals.
Other synthetic vitamins are also included, and additional ingredients are: Whey Protein Isolate (likely from cows fed GMO corn), Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (a synthetic form of vitamin C that is usually inorganic and hard for the body to digest), Folic acid, Biotin, and Vitamin D3.
This is just the ingredient list of one of Ensure’s top products, and as you can see it’s basically nutritionally worthless compared to real, honest food.
It takes very little money to make the best therapeutic comfort-food possible, the same food that has nourished sick people for thousands of years, a nutritious foodstuff that lacks known allergens and causes no sensitivities. I’m talking about chicken broth, which is as easy to make as a salad (just more time-intensive). Instead of pushing these egregious false “foods” upon ill people
There is a BETTER Alternative to Ensure at... www.katefarms.com . It's all plant based liquid nutrition. You can use this in tube feedings too. PLUS, If your doctor writes an order, your insurance may cover the feedings. Check it out. We get no compensation to tell you about this. I personally, use the products and believe it is highly nutritious and will benefit the sick, or those who want to add liquid plant nutrition to their healthy lifestyle.
