If you’re at a healthy weight or overweight, your doctor may give you a moderately higher calorie goal. However, you may need to go on a very high calorie diet if you’re consistently losing weight or are already underweight. Your calorie goals may change over your course of treatment.
This helps your body absorb more nutrients because it has more opportunities to get nutrients.
Your appointments with the dietitian may be covered by your insurance, so check your benefits.
Ask your doctor to recommend a liquid supplement that might work for you. For instance, you might drink Peptamen or Pedialyte, which you can typically buy at a local drugstore. Alternatively, your doctor may prescribe a supplement for you.
Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fish, vegetable oils, nuts, leafy greens, and flax seeds. If you don’t like eating these foods, ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to take a supplement. [6] X Research source
Vitamins and supplements may boost your nutritional levels but this doesn’t always work. Your body may not absorb the nutrients from the supplements, especially if you have trouble digesting fat.
Show your food diary to your doctor or dietitian so they can use the information to help you create a good treatment plan for you.
Depending on the cause of your malabsorption, avoiding trigger foods might also help prevent further damage. For example, celiac disease can damage your intestines if you don’t eliminate gluten from your diet. This means avoiding your food triggers can actually help you absorb more nutrients than you would otherwise.
Ask your doctor how long you should change your diet. Fruits and veggies are nutritious and important for a healthy diet, so you want to resume eating them as soon as possible.
Gluten is a wheat protein that’s common in bread, cereal, pasta, baked goods, spices, sauces, and processed foods. Check the labels on the foods you eat to make sure they’re gluten free. If you keep eating gluten, the inflammation may damage your intestines.
Check the label on your dairy products to make sure they say “lactose-free. ” You might also switch to soy products if they don’t bother your stomach. Fortunately, lactose intolerance doesn’t cause permanent damage. Once you stop eating dairy, you’ll be able to avoid digestive upset and better absorb nutrients.
Talk to your doctor to find out if your body isn’t digesting fat properly. They may do a stool sample to make sure. Ask your doctor how much fat you need to eat daily to meet your nutritional needs. Don’t cut fat out of your diet completely.
Typically, malabsorption is treated with a combination of dietary changes and medical treatments. This may include medication or nutritional support.
Antibiotics are only used to treat bacterial infections.
Take your medication exactly as directed.
These injections will temporarily boost your nutrient levels. You may need to get them often to prevent malnutrition.
For instance, cystic fibrosis might damage your pancreas.
Your doctor may want to try other treatments before they give you steroids. Steroids can cause side effects, including malabsorption of some nutrients, bone loss, and poor protein absorption.
Typically, your doctor will give you these treatments if you’re not able to absorb enough nutrients after trying other treatments.
You might still be able to eat while you have a feeding tube. Ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to eat or not. You might experience discomfort while the feeding tube is inserted or changed, but it’s typically not painful to have a feeding tube.
