An innovative brioche enriched in protein and energy improves the nutritional status of malnourished nursing home residents compared to oral nutritional supplement and usual breakfast: FARINE+ project.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To compare the effects of a 12-week nutritional intervention, in which an innovative protein-and-energy-enriched brioche, an oral nutritional supplement or a usual breakfast were eaten, on food intake and nutritional status in nursing home residents.

DESIGN

Three-armed, multicentre, controlled trial.

SETTING

Eight nursing homes in Burgundy, France.

PARTICIPANTS

Sixty-eight malnourished participants aged between 70 and 99 years old.

INTERVENTION

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups according to the breakfast provided: brioche group, one portion of 65 g brioche enriched in protein and energy (12.8 g and 180 kcal) added to usual breakfast; supplement group, 200-ml of a ready-to-use, energy-dense liquid (14 g protein and 200 kcal) added to usual breakfast or control group, a usual breakfast only.

MEASUREMENTS

Total energy intakes were assessed for three days at different periods of the study (day 0, day 30 and day 90); blood parameters, nutritional status (mini nutritional assessment, weight) and functional capacities (grip strength and activity level) were measured at the beginning and at the end of the nutritional intervention study (day 0 and day 90).

RESULTS

The participants of the brioche group had higher total energy intakes at day 30 (p value 0.004) and at day 90 (p value 0.018) compared with the supplement group and the control group. At the end of the interventional study, 72% of the participants in the brioche group had reached the recommended minimum level of protein of 0.8 g/kg/day, compared with 53% in the supplement group and 36% in the control group (p value 0.036). In addition, between day 0 and day 90 in the brioche group, blood levels of vitamins B, B, D (all p value <0.001), B (p value 0.026) and B (p value 0.036) had increased and plasma homocysteine had decreased (p value 0.024).

CONCLUSION

The protein-and-energy-enriched brioche effectively increased energy and protein intakes and improved the nutritional status of elderly people living in nursing homes. It could be a good alternative to oral liquid nutritional supplements to counteract protein-energy-malnutrition.