Dietary energy supplementation

"Dietary energy supplementation" refers to the deliberate increase of caloric intake, typically through carbohydrate, fat, and/or protein, delivered in food or formulated supplements, in order to address energy deficits in individuals or populations. This approach is used to prevent or treat energy malnutrition, wasting, or undernutrition in settings such as chronic illness, old age, childhood growth, or severe catabolic states. Dietary energy refers to metabolizable energy—that is, the energy available to the body after accounting for losses, usually measured in kilocalories or kilojoules[7]. Dietary energy supplementation does not refer to a molecular or pharmacological target but is a clinical/nutritional strategy[7][9][4]. Safety concerns include excessive caloric provision leading to obesity, metabolic complications, or nutrient imbalances. Key point: "Dietary energy supplementation" is a nutritional intervention, not a molecular target, receptor, or protein, and should not be represented as a drug target[7][9][4].

Other names

energy supplementationcaloric supplementationenergy fortificationnutritional energy support