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Barbara Patterson wrote: > > My father does not take any nutrition by mouth. used a blender to make it ready for the > G-tube. Last year her home health nurse convinced her that a diet of Ensure > alone is sufficient. Obviously it saves her a lot of time and bother, but I > have always felt that something must be missing in this equation. Ms. > Holden's information would indicate that a generic generally accepted food > substitute may not be optimal for a PD patient. Sara, It depends on how well your father's PD is controlled, and whether he's using Sinemet or Sinemet CR (or both). If he's not having any on/off times, this is very helpful to your mother, and there's no reason for her not to continue. Although he will benefit more from food than from Ensure, there is also the possibility of contamination with blenderized food; supplements are safer in that respect. If, however, he is using Sinemet and does experience some off times, then she may wish to adjust the timing of the Ensure. One can of Ensure contains about 9 grams of protein, two grams of which are the large neutral amino acids that interfere with Sinemet absorption. In this case, it would be best to give him the Sinemet 30-60 minutes before administering the Ensure. It's hard to be completely clear by e-mail, so please let me know if you're confused, I'll try to clarify it. Best regards to you and your parents, -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Editor-in-Chief, "Spotlight on Food--nutrition news for people 60-plus" Tel: 970-493-6532 Fax: 970-493-6538 http://www.fortnet.org/~fivstar You may wish to contact: Better Business Bureau of the Mountain States, < [log in to unmask]> for further information.