N-ICE Cream®
N-ICE Cream ®, Nottingham Ice Cream, a solution to improve the nutritional health of older patients
Over one million people in the UK over the age of 65 suffer from malnutrition, and 20% of these are hospital in-patients. In fact, 50% of older patients eat only half of the calories they need to aid recover whilst being treated in hospital.
The consequences of this are severe – patients can suffer from reduced quality of life, increased risk of falls and mortality, delayed wound healing, infections and reduced functional status, among other poor outcomes.
Professor Opinder Sahota, Consultant in Geriatric Medicine and Honorary Professor at Nottingham University Hospitals, not ic ed this issue and decided to look for an innovative solution to help his Patients in Nottingham.pptx [pptx] 768KB
This has led to the development of Nottingham Ice Cream ( N-ICE Cream ® ) . This product is a nutritious muscle targeted high protein ice cream, specifically designed to address the serious problem of malnutrition and muscle weakness among older people . Protein is important for muscle and to help patients’ bodies recover, for instance , after musculoskeletal injuries sustained in a fall.
Professor Sahota chose ice cream as a way of delivering the extra calories and protein, as this was popular with patients. Older people in hospital do not always finish their hospital meals , leading to wastage of food, and additional nutritional supplement drinks that are prescribed a re not typically popular with all patients.
What are the benefits for patients?
N-ICE Cream® ice cream is rich in energy, and high in protein with added Vitamin D. The protein is a combination of whey protein and leucine, which are often used by gym members (as protein shakes and protein supplements) to help build up muscle. Vitamin D has a direct action on muscle and bone.
As well as being available in vanilla, N-ICE Cream® is also available now in strawberry, salted caramel and mint flavours.