Nutritional product for pulmonary patients

A liquid nutritional product for enteral feeding comprising a source of fat, about 45% to about 56% of the total calories in the product being provided by fat, the source of fat being a blend of oils which taken in combination, by weight, have a ratio of fatty acids from the group consisting of Linoleic acid (18:2n6), Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6), and Arachidonic acid (20:4n6) to fatty acids from the group consisting of Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3), Stearidonic acid (18:4n3), Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3), Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) in the range of about 1.5 to about 3.0, a ratio of Linoleic acid (18:2n6) to Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3) in the range of about 3.0 to about 10.0, and a ratio of the sum of Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) to Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6) in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0;

• and said product further comprising about 3500 mcg/L to about 6500 mcg/L of beta carotene, about 150 IU/L to about 450 IU/L of vitamin E, and about 450 mg/L to about 850 mg/L of vitamin C.

A liquid nutritional product for enteral feeding comprising a blend of oils such that the nutritional product comprises certain fatty acids expressed as percentages by weigh to total fatty acids, as follows:

• ______________________________________ FATTY ACID % OF TOTAL FATTY ACIDS ______________________________________ Oleic acid (18:1n9) 20.8-28.2 Linoleic acid (18:2n6) 13.5-18.3 Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6) 3.9-5.3 Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3) 2.7-3.7 Stearidonic acid (18:4n3) 0.71-0.97 Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) 4.25-5.75 Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) 2.1-2.9 ______________________________________
• and, by weight, the ratio of fatty acids from the group consisting of Linoleic acid (18:2n6), Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6), and Arachidonic acid (20:4n6) to fatty acids from the group consisting of Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3), Stearidonic acid (18:4n3), Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3), Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) is in the range of about 1.5 to about 3.0, the ratio of Linoleic acid (18:2n6) to Alpha-Linolenic acid is in the range of about 3.0 to about 10.0, and the ratio of the sum of Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) to Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6) is in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0.

A liquid nutritional product for enteral feeding comprising a blend of oils comprises by weight about 20% to about 50% canola oil, about 5% to about 35% medium chain triglycerides, about 50% to about 30% fish oil, about 5% to about 30% borage oil, and about 2.5% to about 6.0% soy lecithin, said blend of oils as a whole, by weight, having a ratio of fatty acids from the group consisting of Linoleic acid (18:2n6), Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6), and Arachidonic acid (20:4n6) to fatty acids from the group consisting of Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3), Stearidonic acid (18:4n3), Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3), Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) in the range of about 1.5 to about 3.0, a ratio of Linoleic acid (18:2n6) to Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3) in the range of about 3.0 to about 10.0, and a ratio of the sum of Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) to Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6) in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0.

A method of improving pulmonary function in a mammalian creature having respiratory insufficiency by enterally feeding to said mammalian creature a liquid nutritional product comprising:

• (a) a source of fat which is a blend of oils which in combination, by weight, have a ratio of fatty acids from the group consisting of Linoleic acid (18:2n6), Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6), and Arachidonic acid (20:4n6) to fatty acids from the group consisting of Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3), Stearidonic acid (18:4n3), Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3), Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) in the range of about 1.5 to about 3.0, a ratio of Linoleic acid (18:2n6) to Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3) in the range of about 3.0 to about 10.0, and a ratio of the sum of Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) to Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6) in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0;
• and (b) at least one nutrient selected from the group consisting of beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, and taurine.

A method of improving pulmonary function in a mammalian creature having respiratory insufficiency by enterally feeding to said mammalian creature a liquid nutritional product comprising a source of fat, about 45% to about 56% of the total calories in the product being provided by fat, the source of fat being a blend of oils which taken in combination, by weight, have a ratio of fatty acids from the group consisting of Linoleic acid (18:2n6), Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6), and Arachidonic acid (20:4n6) to fatty acids from the group consisting of Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3), Stearidonic acid (18:4n3), Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3), Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) in the range of about 1.5 to about 3.0, a ratio of Linoleic acid (18:2n6) to Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3) in the range of about 3.0 to about 10.0, and a ratio of the sum of Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) to Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6) in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0;

• and said product further comprising about 3500 mcg/L to about 6500 mcg/L of beta carotene, about 150 IU/L to about 450 IU/L of vitamin E, and about 450 mg/L to about 850 mg/L of vitamin C.

A method of improving pulmonary function in a mammalian creature having respirator insufficiency by enterally feeding to said mammalian creature a liquid nutritional product comprising a blend of oils which comprises by weight about 20% to about 50% canola oil, about 5% to about 35% medium chain triglycerides, about 5% to about 30% fish oil, about 5% to about 30% borage oil, and about 2.5% to about 6.0% soy lecithin, said blend of oils as a whole, by weight, having a ratio of fatty acids from the group consisting of Linoleic acid (18:2n6), Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6), and Arachidonic acid (20:4n6) to fatty acids from the group consisting of Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3), Stearidonic acid (18:4n3), Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3), Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) in the range of about 1.5 to about 3.0, a ratio of Linoleic acid (18:2n6) to Alpha-Linolenic acid (18:3n3) in the range of about 3.0 to about 10.0, and a ratio of the sum of Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) to Gamma-Linolenic acid (18:3n6) in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0.