The science of nutrition has advanced significantly, leading to a deeper understanding of the essential nutrients our bodies require. With a vast array of analyzed foods, recipes, and supplements, navigating the options can be overwhelming. The Ensure drink range, manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, offers a selection of nutritional supplements designed to cater to various conditions and needs. These formulations are available in ready-to-drink liquid portions or in powder form, with some flavors available.
Understanding the Ensure Product Line
Choosing the right Ensure drink can be challenging due to the numerous options available. Here's a detailed look at each product to help you make an informed decision:
Ensure Original
- Key Features: 9 grams of high-quality protein, 27 essential vitamins and minerals (including antioxidants), and 25% of the daily value of B vitamins to support brain health. Available in seven flavors.
- Benefits: Ensure Original is a broad-spectrum supplement formulated to help gain or maintain a healthy weight. It can benefit patients experiencing malnutrition or involuntary weight loss by stabilizing their weight.
Ensure Plus
- Key Features: 16 grams of high-quality protein, 27 essential vitamins and minerals, and 350 nutritious calories. Available in five flavors.
- Benefits: Ensure Plus is a protein-boosted version of Ensure Original, ideal for individuals aiming to gain or maintain weight. Its high protein content makes it suitable as part of a weight loss plan. It can also benefit patients who have malnutrition or are experiencing involuntary weight loss.
Ensure Complete
- Key Features: 30 grams of high-quality protein, 350 calories, zinc, vitamin A, and antioxidants (vitamins C, E, and selenium) for immune health, plant-based omega-3 ALA for heart health, 4g Comfort Fiber Blend with prebiotic fiber for digestive health, and vitamin D and calcium for bone health. Available in three flavors.
- Benefits: Ensure Complete serves as a complete meal replacement, providing a substantial portion of the daily vitamin and mineral requirements for an average adult. Its high protein and calorie content make it a valuable tool in a weight loss plan.
Ensure Max Protein
- Key Features: 30 grams of high-quality protein, 1 gram of sugar, 25 essential vitamins and minerals, 150 nutritious calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 100 milligrams of caffeine. Available in seven flavors.
- Benefits: With only 150 calories, Ensure Max Protein is recommended as a snack rather than a full meal replacement. The addition of sugar and caffeine provides an energy boost and promotes satiety.
Ensure High Protein
- Key Features: 16g high-quality protein, 27 essential vitamins and minerals, key nutrients for immune system health, 160 nutritious calories, 4g sugars and 2g fat. Available in three flavors.
- Benefits: Ensure High Protein supports muscle and immune system health, providing almost half of the daily vitamin requirements and a wide range of minerals.
Ensure Plant-Based Protein
- Key Features: 20g of plant-based protein from a blend of fava bean and pea, 180 nutritious calories, 5g of fiber, 7g of sugars, non-GMO ingredients, and no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Available in chocolate or vanilla flavors.
- Benefits: This vegan and vegetarian-friendly Ensure drink shake contains no dairy or soy and is gluten and lactose-free. The healthy dose of fiber and sugar makes it a substantial snack for people on the go.
Ensure Clear
- Key Features: 8 grams of high-quality protein, 15 essential vitamins and minerals, 180 nutritious calories, and 0 grams of fat. Available in two fresh fruity flavors.
- Benefits: Ensure Clear is a refreshing drink that supplements your regular diet and makes up for any shortfalls in your nutrition.
Ensure Light
Key Features: 60% fewer calories than Ensure Original, 12 grams of high-quality protein, 22 essential vitamins and minerals, 0 grams of sugar. Available in chocolate or vanilla flavors.
Benefits: This is a low-calorie alternative to Ensure Original. With only 80 calories per serving, this sugar-free shake provides a lot of nutrition but without the risk of weight gain. It’s ideal for daily use.
Ensure Compact
Key Features: Complete, balanced nutrition in an easy-to-drink, 4-fl-oz serving, 9 grams of high-quality protein per serving to help maintain muscle, 25 essential vitamins and minerals, 220 nutritious calories. Available in chocolate or vanilla flavors.
Read also: The Ultimate Smoothie Guide
Benefits: All the same nutrition but only half of the quantity. This is ideal for people who need to eat several small meals every day rather than the usual three. It provides 220 calories and 9g of protein for muscle health and energy.
Ensure Enlive
- Key Features: All-in-One blend to support your health: Muscle, Heart, Immune, Digestion, and Bone. 20 grams of high-quality protein, unique ingredient HMB, 26 essential vitamins and minerals, 3 grams of fiber, and 350 nutritious calories. Available only in milk chocolate flavor.
- Benefits: Ensure Enlive is a comprehensive option packed with protein, fiber, and HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate), beneficial for muscles and general health. With 350 calories, it can serve as a meal replacement.
Can Ensure Help With Weight Loss?
The role of Ensure in weight loss can be complex and depends on the specific product and how it's incorporated into your diet.
Evidence from Studies
One small study explored the impact of meal replacement shakes on weight loss. In this study, participants who were overweight or had obesity followed a diet that included two meal replacement shakes per day, along with one whole food meal and three to five whole food snacks, totaling 1,200 to 1,600 calories daily. The meal replacement shake used in the study contained 240 calories, 9 g fat, 24 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, and 20 g protein per serving and was sweetened with monk fruit. Over the 60-day study, participants lost an average of about 6.5 pounds and didn’t report a significant increase in hunger despite reducing their calorie intake.
Considerations for Using Ensure for Weight Loss
While this study suggests that meal replacement shakes can be effective for weight loss, it's important to consider the specific nutritional profile of the shake used. For example, Ensure Max Protein contains a similar macronutrient profile with 30 g protein, 1 g sugar, and 4 g fiber, but it only has 150 calories. It's important to note that Ensure Max Protein hasn’t been studied in a clinical trial to determine whether people would lose weight or feel satiated as the participants in the study did.
Important Considerations
- Consulting a Doctor: Talk to your doctor if you’re planning to replace meals with a shake like Ensure.
- Daily Value: The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.
Ingredients Overview
To better understand the nutritional content, here's a look at the typical ingredients found in Ensure drinks:
Read also: Stay Hydrated on Keto
- Water
- Corn Maltodextrin
- Sugar
- Milk Protein Concentrate
- Blend of Vegetable Oils (Canola, Corn)
- Soy Protein Isolate
- Nonfat Milk
- Cocoa Powder (Processed with Alkali)
- Natural & Artificial Flavors
General Considerations
All Ensure drink products are gluten-free and suitable for lactose intolerant individuals. However, with the exception of Ensure Plant-based Protein, they should not be used by people with galactosemia. All products are also certified Halal and Kosher.
Read also: Benefits of Oatmeal Drinks for Dieting