DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It has been surprisingly discovered that adding gum acacia to an aqueous nutritional product containing soy fiber will lower the viscosity of the product rather then increase the viscosity.
Lower viscosity of aqueous nutritional compositions can be very important when the product must be administered through a small opening or tube such as with tube feeding, for example, to achieve adequate flow rates Lower viscosity also facilitate processing and packaging of the product.
Also, lower viscosity can also provide increased palatability.
The effective viscosity lowering amount of gum acacia is about 0.
2 to about 4, preferably about 0.
5 to about 3, and more preferably about 1 to about 2 weight % of total composition.
The amount of viscosity decrease achieved is typically about 5 to about 40 %, preferably about 10 to about 30%, and more preferably about 20 to about 30%.
The aqueous nutritional composition of the invention contains a substantial amount of soy fiber, typically about 0.
2 to about 3, preferably about 0.
8 to about 2.
5, and more preferably about 1 to about 2 weight % of total composition.
Other fibers are optionally present such as pectin; oat hull fiber; pea fiber; cellulose or derivatives thereof, such as carboxymethyl cellulose; other gums such as guar gum, xanthan gum; and the like.
The nutritional composition of the invention preferably contains protein and/or non-fiber carbohydrates.
A preferred composition of the invention comprises: (a) about 0.
2 to about 3 weight % soy fiber; (b) 0 to about 8 weight % protein; (c) 0 to about 17 weight % non-fiber carbohydrate; (d) about 60 to about 98 weight % water; and (e) an effective viscosity lowering amount of gum acacia.
A more preferred composition comprises: (a) about 0.
8 to 2.
5 weight % soy fiber, (b) about 2 to 8 weight % protein, (c) about 1 to 17 weight % non-fiber carbohydrate, (d) about 63 to 84 weight % water, and (e) an effective viscosity lowering amount of gum acacia.
An even more preferred composition comprises: (a) about 1 to 2 weight % soy fiber, (b) about 3 to 6 weight % protein, (c) about 12 to 15 weight % non-fiber carbohydrate, (d) about 69 to 81 weight % water, and (e) an effective viscosity lowering amount of gum acacia
|
Weight Loss and Supplements 
