Appropriate nutritional management in patients with impaired mastication and those with mild dysphagia: A multicenter study of the usefulness of novel foods processed and softened by enzymes

Background and Objectives: Our aim was to investigate the safety of iEAT (a food that is softened by heat and enzyme homogeneous permeation) and iEAT-affected nutrition parameters, e.g., nutrition intake (calculated from the consumption rate in patients with impaired mastication and those with mild dysphagia). Methods and Study Design: A multicenter, randomized, cross-over study of iEAT was conducted in 50 patients (mean age 77.0±11.0 years) with dysphagia due to Occasional aspiration (4 points on the Dysphagia Severity Scale [DSS]) or Oral problems (5 points) randomly assigned to the study diet (iEAT) or its opposite (the modified traditional [control] diet) for 1 week and then switched for 1 week to the opposing diet. Intake of energy, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and sodium were evaluated along with questionnaire-assessed levels of satisfaction. Results: The mean intake was significantly lower for the study diet, whereas the intakes of energy, protein, carbohydrate on day 1, intake of protein on day 7, and body weight on day 7 were significantly higher for the study diet. We found no betweengroup differences in hematologic and blood biochemistry parameters, no diet-related adverse events, greater satisfaction with the appearance of the study diet (p < 0.001), and comparable levels of satisfaction with ease of eating, ease of swallowing, and taste for both diets. Conclusions: iEAT was provided to patients with mild dysphagia as safely as a blender diet or other diets usually provided at each study site, and can serve as an efficient nutrition source.