sore-musclesDTWe often receive this question from our readers: Should I add oil to my Absorb Plus shakes? What exactly are the benefits? Will it still be considered elemental?

Cold-pressed oils are all compatible with the elemental diet, but look for one that is high in omega-3‘s for the anti-inflammatory effect. Most of the fat we consume is in unusable forms, which irritates our digestive system. But cold-pressed flax oil is absorbed very quickly, and even people with a marked ‘fat-intolerance’ have no problem with it. Sometimes people who don’t tolerate flax oil will tolerate MCT oil instead, and others find Udo’s oil easiest to tolerate. You just have to test it and see – but make sure you use a cold-pressed healthy anti-inflammatory oil.

Since the 1950s, most westerners have been severely deficient in Essential Fatty Acids (EFA), which leads to a wide variety of problems in the body. However, regular ingestion of flax oil, fish oil, or coconut (MCT) oil cures this deficiency.

Flax oil has a very mild, unobtrusive taste and is also great in salad dressings, drizzled overcooked vegetables, or stirred into dips, salsa, or yoghurt. Do not heat the oil or use it to fry foods, as this destroys the Essential Fatty Acids. You can safely supplement up to 8-10 tablespoons per day of flax oil, and a good maintenance dose is 2-4 tablespoons per day.

Cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring also contain high levels of Omega-3 and other ‘good fats’ (EFA, GLA) needed by the body. So you can either eat the fish or take fish oil or cod liver oil as a supplement. The other major benefit is that Omega-3 is a powerful anti-inflammatory and fish oil has been used solely in double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to induce remission in patients with Crohn’s Disease (The New England Journal of Medicine, June 13, 1996).

Here is an assortment of healthy oils that are beneficial – not just for people with digestive diseases, but for ALL people. If your disease is active, or if you’re pregnant or lactating, then you need high amounts of each of these beneficial oils. Remember, the cell membrane is 40% fat! So be sure to ingest lots of these healthy oils each day. They will not cause you to become fat (adipose tissue); your body will use them for vital functions like skin, hair, connective tissue, hormonal pathways, etc.

We recommend you add Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil blend (preferred), or, organic, unrefined, cold-pressed, flaxseed oil or MCT oil to your Absorb Plus shakes to increase Omega 3 and ‘good fat’ (Essential Fatty Acid) levels in your body. Good fats are an essential part of a healthy diet and body, and adding Udo’s, MCT or flax oil to Absorb Plus will increase the calorie count per shake and result in a tastier shake!

There is no oil in Absorb Plus for three reasons:

  • Imix Nutrition wanted the product to work for people who have a complete fat intolerance.
  • Any cold-pressed oil needs to be kept refrigerated and in a dark container at all times or the fat denatures and becomes rancid.
  • As different people can tolerate different levels of fat (dependent on type and location of illness and degree of inflammation), Imix felt it best to allow you to add the level of fat that’s right for you.

Since there is no fat in Absorb Plus, you really should add the Udo’s, MCT or flax oil if at all possible (1 tsp – 1 tbsp per shake, depending upon tolerance. The more the better!). Adding Udo’s Oil and pouring over lots of ice also improves the taste. Some people also prefer mixing the flavors, as they feel that tastes better than a single flavor. For example, 2 scoops of Chocolate Royale and 2 scoops of Mixed Berry.

Any additional questions? Please comment below!

**Note, we have had many readers write in asking if they can add more than the recommended number of scoops in their shakes – and if there are any downsides to this. In my book, The IBD Remission Diet, I talk about why I formulated Absorb Plus to have roughly 27 grams of protein per serving. I based that calculation on bodybuilders’ protein intake. Because if you ingest more protein than your body can utilize, it will excrete it via urine. Thus, I recommend my readers not ingest more than 1 shake per hour for efficient protein utilization. If you would like to “bulk up” your shakes, the above healthy oils are a great way to do so. And be sure to drink your shakes slowly for maximum nutrient retention/utilization!