Recent Events at Columbia's ALS Center

“Wine Tasting Event”
Kate Bednarz, RD

Patients sometimes report that the supplements we recommend are not very tasty. Despite their dislike, they drink them to meet their nutritional requirements Although we readily recommend these supplements, the ALS Center staff has never tried them so I decided to have a “Wine Tasting Event” here at the Center. On September 13th the ALS center staff, including Dr. Mitsumoto and Dr. Gordon, participated in a blind taste test of the different nutritional supplements on the market. Products included chocolate flavored Ensure, Ensure+, Zone, Shop Rite, Shop Rite+, Boost, Boost+, Boost High Protein, Carnation Instant Breakfast, & Placebo. Also included were Boost Pudding and Ensure Pudding. Supplements were ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. The best product would have a thicker consistency to promote easier swallowing, not be intensely sweet, not leave an aftertaste, and appear appetizing in color. The highest ranked supplement was (believe it or not) the placebo, Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked Ice Cream,  with an average ranking of 4.6. Ensure Pudding ranked second place with a 4.1 average. The most popular supplement drink was Ensure with a 3.5 average.

Important lessons learned in the process:
Always pay attention to serving size. Some containers listed the total nutrition provided by the can where others had 2.5 servings for each can. This can be a difference of 200+ calories, which adds up in the long run.
The colder the supplement the more tolerable it is. There is a significant difference between ice cold Boost and one that is at room temperature. Either store it in the refrigerator before consuming or drink the supplement on ice.
It doesn’t matter how you increase your calories. Whether you increase calories by eating Dairy Queen, making a milk shake with Ensure, ice cream, fruit, or simply taking a tablespoon of olive oil by mouth, the goal is to keep your weight stable. So find what works for you!

MDA Wings Over Wall Street On September 22, 2005, the MDA sponsored event, Wings Over Wall Street ®, held at the Marriot Marquis Hotel in New York City, raised over $865,000 in net proceeds for ALS research to be divided equally between Columbia University and Johns Hopkins. Please see the Website for more information: http://www.mdausa.org

Spina Family Plaque Dedication On October 11, 2005, The Eleanor & Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Center hosted a reception to dedicate a plaque to honor the Spina Family for organizing "ALS Golf for Life", in honor of Carol Spina, which was hugely successful in raising funds to support ALS research and patient care.