If you or your baby have a condition that affects fat absorption, then you'll likely be prescribed a special diet or formula. Portagen is one such powdered milk protein supplement often given to people who need a special blend of fat in their diet. It's not intended for healthy people or for long-term use, but it can give you or your child the nutritional boost you need long enough to recover and transition back to a normal diet.
Identification
Portagen is an ivory-colored powder that contains cow's milk protein, corn syrup solids, medium-chain triglycerides, sugar, corn oil, and several vitamins and minerals. Portagen's nutrients comprise 14 percent protein, 40 percent fat and 46 percent carbohydrate.
Uses
Portagen is given to infants, children and adults who are suffering from various medical conditions including: a defect in the ability of your digestive organs to metabolize fat; intestinal lymphatic obstruction; chylothorax, a rare complication following chest surgery; an intestinal resection; a pancreatic or bile acid insufficiency; Crohn's disease; lymphatic anomalies; or steatorrhea, an excessive amount of fat in the stool.
Effects
The medium chain triglyceride fats in Portagen are easier to absorb than long-chain fatty acids if you have fat malabsorption, providing your body with an adequate energy supply. The medium chain triglycerides also require significantly less pancreatic lipase and bile salts for healthy digestion.
Effects
Researchers at the Department of Pediatrics, North Shore University Hospital and Cornell University Medical College, led by F. Lifshitz, studied five different infant formulas to determine which was the most beneficial in feeding young patients with diarrhea. Their results, published in April 1991 in the "Journal of Pediatrics," showed that infants fed Portagen excreted the least quantities of stool and didn't need as much intravenous fluid or oral hydration. Those patients given other formulas had significantly worse diarrhea.
Considerations
Once you've mixed Portagen with water, you should use it immediately or cover and store in a refrigerator at 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit for a maximum of 24 hours. If it's been unrefrigerated for more than two hours, it should be discarded. You should also never freeze prepared Portagen formula. The Portagen cans or powder can be stored at room temperature, but once you've opened the can, it should be kept tightly covered, stored in a dry place and used within one month.
Warning
Portagen should only be used under the direction of a physician. You should start with one or two small servings a day until your body gets used to the formula, or else you may experience some initial abdominal discomfort and diarrhea. Like many other powdered products, Portagen isn't sterile and shouldn't be used if you have a compromised immune system. In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traced an infant death to Enterobacter sakazakii contained in Portagen and subsequently found the same bacteria in several other powdered formulas. If you have cirrhosis, you should avoid products such as Portagen that contain large amounts of medium chain triglyceride fats, especially if you have a portacaval shunt.
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