Ensure Plus High Protein Shakes: Benefits, Flavors and Best Uses

The Benefits of Ensure Plus High Protein Drinks

Ensure Plus nutritional drinks can be a convenient way to supplement your diet with extra protein for better health. The Ensure Plus High Protein formula offers specialized nutrition tailored for those recovering from illness/surgery or battling chronic diseases.

How Much Protein is in Ensure Plus High Protein

Each 8 fl. oz bottle of Ensure High Protein drink contains:

30g of high quality protein
350 nutrient-dense calories
24 essential vitamins and minerals

The high level of protein makes it ideal for rebuilding strength, maintaining muscle mass and supporting healing during illness or after hospitalization.

Benefits of High Protein After Surgery/Injury

Consuming adequate protein is crucial for recovering after surgery or injuries. The amino acids provided are used to repair damaged tissue, build new blood cells and restore strength.

Without enough dietary protein, the body starts breaking down muscle as an energy source - impairing healing. Ensure Plus protein drinks can help avoid this even if you have trouble chewing/swallowing.

Who Can Benefit from High Protein Shakes

Those below can benefit greatly from the 30g per serving of protein in Ensure Plus:

Recovering surgery patients - Accelerates wound healing, prevents muscle wasting
Critically ill hospital patients - Supports immune function, reduces complications
Elderly adults with reduced appetite - Maintains strength/function
Cancer patients - Preserves lean body mass during chemo/radiation treatment
Diabetes patients - Better blood sugar control

How Ensure Plus High Protein Can Aid Medical Conditions

Along with concentrated protein, Ensure Plus delivers vital carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and calories. This nutrient profile makes it beneficial for gaining strength with certain conditions:

Recovery After Surgery or Hospitalization

Ensure Plus can help you bounce back faster after surgical procedures like knee/hip replacements, bariatric surgery, organ transplants and extensive wounds:

Speeds minor wound closure
Reduces post-op complications like infections
Shortens hospital stays by improving outcomes
Restores lost weight/muscle

Without adequate nutrients, surgery recovery slows down. Doctors often order nutritional supplements to aid the healing process.

Chronic Diseases Causing Malnourishment

Many chronic gastrointestinal, kidney and liver conditions make eating normally difficult - leading to malnourishment over time. Others greatly increase nutrient requirements. Ensure Plus drinks help by:

Increasing calorie and protein intake
Providing easily digestible nutrition
Allowing gut tissues to rest and heal
Stabilizing weight loss
Boosting energy and immune function

During disease flares or treatment side effects, Ensure Plus allows the body to redirect energies towards fighting illness rather than digestion.

Cancer Therapy Support

Cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery can make eating normally difficult - leading to unhealthy weight/muscle loss.

Timely high protein supplementation provided by Ensure Plus can help counteract this by:

Preventing muscle wasting during therapy
Speeding weight regain between treatments
Reducing serious complications
Improving tolerance of higher chemotherapy doses

Stronger nutritional status leads to better outcomes during intensive cancer therapy regimens. Doctors often provide Ensure drinks before treatments.

Flavors of Ensure Plus

To suit different taste preferences, Ensure Plus High Protein nutritional shakes come in several flavors such as:

French Vanilla
Milk Chocolate
Strawberry
Coffee Latte

Ways to Make Shake Taste Better

If you find the flavors too sweet or artificial tasting, there are some easy ways to tweak them:

Mix in fresh/frozen fruit like berries
Blend with 100% fruit juice instead of water
Stir in extracts like vanilla, almond or peppermint
Top with sprinkles of cinnamon, cocoa powder or nutmeg
Allow shake to chill longer before drinking

Experiment to find flavor combos you enjoy and look forward to drinking daily.

How to Buy Ensure Plus High Protein

Ensure Plus shakes are available for purchase from various outlets including:

Online: Amazon, Walmart, Ensure.com
Grocery stores: Safeway, Kroger, Publix, etc
Warehouse clubs: Costco, Sam's Club, BJs Wholesale
Drugstores: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid
Big box discount stores: Target, Walmart

Check Your Health Insurance

As a medical food for special dietary needs, costs of Ensure Plus may be covered fully or partially by certain health insurance plans including Medicare and Medicaid pending doctor's orders.

Contact your insurance provider to learn about coverage allowances for oral nutritional supplements needed for recovery, chronic illness or weight gain.

Compare Prices Online

To save money, compare Ensure Plus deals and coupons among various online vendors. Buying in bulk often lowers the per-bottle price as well.

How to Take Ensure Plus for Best Results

To gain the most benefits from Ensure Plus protein shakes during illness, recovery or chronic disease management:

Have realistic weight gain expectations of just 1-2 pounds per week
Aim for at least two 8 fl. oz bottles of Ensure Plus daily
Drink bottles spaced evenly - don't consume one right before a meal
Customize flavors to your tastes so you look forward to drinking them
Consume consistently along with any other diet recommendations from your healthcare team

With 30g per serving of high quality protein, Ensure Plus gives your body an extra edge against disease progression and faster bounce backs.

Who Should Not Drink Ensure Plus

While generally safe for most people needing extra nutrition, talk to your doctor before taking Ensure Plus if you have:

Kidney disease
Inability to break down or metabolize protein
Rare metabolic disorders like maple syrup urine disease
Food allergies or GI conditions causing malabsorption
Taking certain medications like lithium, levodopa or thyroid hormones

For some conditions, alternate nutritional supplement drinks may be recommended instead of Ensure Plus.

The Takeaway on Ensure Plus High Protein

When illness, chronic disease or surgery wound healing makes eating normally difficult, Ensure Plus nutrition shakes can help fill gaps.

The specialized high protein formula provides concentrated nutrition to:

Prevent unhealthy weight/muscle loss
Meet increased nutritional requirements
Accelerate recovery and healing
Improve disease management outcomes

By supporting your body nutritionally during vulnerable times, Ensure Plus protein supplements aid the return to wellness.

FAQs

How many protein shakes should I drink per day?

For best results, aim to drink at least two 8oz bottles of Ensure Plus protein shakes per day. Space them evenly throughout the day and don't drink one right before a regular meal.

When should you drink Ensure Plus?

Ensure Plus is helpful for those recovering from surgery/illness, battling chronic diseases like cancer or GI disorders, struggling with unwanted weight loss, or have trouble eating enough normally.

Does insurance cover Ensure Plus protein shakes?

Some health insurance plans including Medicare and Medicaid may cover partial or full costs of Ensure Plus if medically necessary and ordered by your doctor for special dietary needs.

What is the best flavor of Ensure Plus?

Ensure Plus comes in flavors like French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Strawberry and Coffee Latte. Choose your favorite or customize shakes by mixing in fruit, juice, vanilla extract or cocoa powder.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.