Ensure

Last updated
Ensure
Ensure product line up June 2012.jpg
June 2012 Ensure product lineup
Product type Dietary supplement, Meal replacement
Owner Abbott Laboratories
Country United States
Introduced1973;51 years ago (1973)
Website www.ensure.com

Ensure is an American brand of nutritional supplements and meal replacements manufactured by Abbott Laboratories.

Contents

A 237-ml (8-fl oz) bottle of Ensure Original contains 220 calories, six grams of fat, 15 grams of sugar, and nine grams of protein. The top six ingredients are water, corn maltodextrin, sugar, milk protein concentrate, canola oil, and soy protein isolate. [1] Ensure is considered lactose-free for people with lactose intolerance. [2]

History

In 1903, Harry C. Moores and Stanley M. Ross launched the "Moores & Ross Milk Company", which specialized in bottling milk for home delivery for the first few years. [3] By 1964, however, the company merged with Abbott Laboratories. A drink called Ensure was first marketed by Ross Laboratories in 1973. [3]

In the 1990s, Ensure and other nutritional drink products like Mead Johnson's Sustacal and Nestlé's Boost and Resource brands were fiercely competing to capture market share among healthy adults. [4] In 1996, Ensure had sales of about $300 million and accounted for 80% of protein supplement sales; Abbott spent $45.4 million to advertise Ensure during the first nine months of 1996, around 70% more than it spent during the same period of 1995. [5]

Criticism

In 1995, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that ads for Ensure were "the most misleading food ad" of that year. [4] In 1997, Abbott settled charges from the Federal Trade Commission that it was falsely marketing Ensure as having similar amounts of vitamins as multivitamin supplements, and as recommended by doctors more than any other nutritional supplement as a way for people to stay active and healthy. [4] [6]

Ensure has been used in the force feeding of hunger-striking prisoners at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camps. [7]

Products

When Abbott split off its pharmaceuticals division, Abbvie, in 2013, the Ensure product line remained with Abbott along with other nutritional products. [8]

As of 2016, variants of Ensure included: [9]

As of 2016, Ensure Complete had been discontinued. [12] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulating components in milk contribute to milk immunity. Early-lactation milk, which is called colostrum, contains antibodies that strengthen the immune system and thus reduce the risk of many diseases. Milk contains many nutrients, including calcium and protein, but also lactose and saturated fat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lactose intolerance</span> Inability to digest lactose

Lactose intolerance is caused by a lessened ability or a complete inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Humans vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea. These symptoms typically start thirty minutes to two hours after eating or drinking something containing lactose, with the severity typically depending on the amount consumed. Lactose intolerance does not cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infant formula</span> Manufactured food designed for feeding infants

Infant formula, also called baby formula, simply formula, baby milk or infant milk, is an ultra-processed food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding from powder or liquid. The U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) defines infant formula as "a food which purports to be or is represented for special dietary use solely as a food for infants by reason of its simulation of human milk or its suitability as a complete or partial substitute for human milk".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogurt</span> Food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whey</span> Liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained

Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard cheese, like cheddar or Swiss cheese. Acid whey is a byproduct brought out during the making of acid types of dairy products, such as strained yogurt.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whey protein</span> Protein supplement

Whey protein is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. The proteins consist of α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, serum albumin and immunoglobulins. Glycomacropeptide also makes up the third largest component but is not a protein. Whey protein is commonly marketed as a protein supplement, and various health claims have been attributed to it. A review published in 2010 in the European Food Safety Authority Journal concluded that the provided literature did not adequately support the proposed claims.

β-Hydroxy β-methylbutyric acid Chemical compound

β-Hydroxy β-methylbutyric acid (HMB), otherwise known as its conjugate base, β-hydroxyβ-methylbutyrate, is a naturally produced substance in humans that is used as a dietary supplement and as an ingredient in certain medical foods that are intended to promote wound healing and provide nutritional support for people with muscle wasting due to cancer or HIV/AIDS. In healthy adults, supplementation with HMB has been shown to increase exercise-induced gains in muscle size, muscle strength, and lean body mass, reduce skeletal muscle damage from exercise, improve aerobic exercise performance, and expedite recovery from exercise. Medical reviews and meta-analyses indicate that HMB supplementation also helps to preserve or increase lean body mass and muscle strength in individuals experiencing age-related muscle loss. HMB produces these effects in part by stimulating the production of proteins and inhibiting the breakdown of proteins in muscle tissue. No adverse effects from long-term use as a dietary supplement in adults have been found.

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Fortisip is a therapeutic food manufactured/produced by Nutricia. It is a readymade milkshake style drink for special medical purposes. Intended for the dietary management of patients with or at risk of developing disease related malnutrition, suitable for oral or tube feeding use. Fortisip is suitable for use as a sole source of nutrition when taken as directed by a medical professional for most people over 6 years of age, but it contains no fibre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoothie</span> Drink made from fruit or vegetables

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Glucerna is the brand name of a family of tube feeding formula, bottled or canned shakes, and snack bars manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. It was introduced to the public in 1989. These medical nutritional products are meant for people with diabetes and are promoted for their ability to satisfy hunger without causing rapid increases in glucose concentration in the bloodstream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poultry feed</span> Food for chickens

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Infant feeding is the practice of feeding infants. Breast milk provides the best nutrition when compared to infant formula. Infants are usually introduced to solid foods at around four to six months of age.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairlife</span> Ultra-filtered milk brand

Fairlife, stylized as fa!rlife, is an American brand of ultra-filtered milk distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. In the United States, the milk comes in five flavors: reduced fat, chocolate, strawberry, fat-free, and whole milk.

Juven is a medical food that is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories and used to provide nutritional support under the care of a physician in individuals with muscle wasting due to AIDS or cancer, to promote wound healing following surgery or injury, or when otherwise recommended by a medical professional. It is a powdered nutritional supplement that contains 3 grams of calcium β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate, 14 grams of L-arginine, and 14 grams of L-glutamine per two daily servings.

References

  1. "Ensure® Original Milk Chocolate Nutrition Shake", ensure.com.
  2. "Ensure® FAQ, ensure.com
  3. 1 2 "Ross Laboratories". Ohio History Central. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Burros, Marian (8 January 1997). "Eating Well". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  5. Gellene, Denise (3 January 1997). "Ensure Maker Settles Ad Charges". Los Angeles Times.
  6. "Docket No. C-3745: In the Matter of Abbot Laboratories, a corporation" (PDF). FTC. May 30, 1997.
  7. Photos from Guantanamo’s force-feeding facilities, Washington Post 10 May 2013
  8. Marbury, Donna (November 29, 2012). "As Abbott and AbbVie move toward split-up, Wall Street waits". Medill Reports. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  9. "Ensure Products". Ensure. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  10. "Ensure Original Pudding". Abbott Nutrition. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  11. "Muscle drink with HMB targets the middle-aged". LA Times. May 29, 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  12. "Ensure Complete". Rootine. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  13. "Optimize Your Cellular Nutrition". Ensure. Retrieved 11 March 2021.