Role of the Healthcare Professional
Managing allergies and intolerances
Allergies
Your patients can still follow the OPTIFAST VLCD Program if they have allergies or intolerances. It is just a matter of working out which OPTIFAST VLCD product will suit them best. Different products in the OPTIFAST VLCD range have different allergens present. This table lists the allergens present in each of the OPTIFAST VLCD products, to allow you to choose the most appropriate choice.
A cross in the table denotes that the ingredient is not present, a tick indicates that the ingredient is present.
| Product | Gluten | Soy | Dairy | Nuts | Eggs | Fish oil | Phenyl-alanine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakes | |||||||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chocolate Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Vanilla Flavour Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Strawberry Flavour Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Coffee Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Banana Flavour Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Caramel Flavour Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chai Flavour Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Mocha Shake | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| Desserts | |||||||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chocolate Dessert | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Lemon Crème Flavour Dessert | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✓ |
| Soups | |||||||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Vegetable Soup | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✗ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chicken Flavour Soup | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✗ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Tomato Country Style Soup | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | May contain traces | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bars | |||||||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chocolate Bar | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | May contain traces | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Berry Crunch Flavour Bar | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | May contain traces | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Cappucino Flavour Bar | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | May contain traces | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Cereal Bar | ✓ | ✓ | May contain traces | May contain traces | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Lactose Intolerance
All the OPTIFAST VLCD products contain some quantity of lactose. Most people with lactose malabsorption or lactose intolerance can tolerate up to 7 grams of lactose at one time. As it can be individual it may be a matter of trial and error to see what products your patient can manage. The table below highlights the lactose content of each of the OPTIFAST VLCD products. Alternatively you can take a Lactase enzyme tablet such as Lacteze with your OPTIFAST VLCD Shakes. Lacteze tablets are available from your local pharmacy.
The table below highlights the lactose content of each of the OPTIFAST VLCD products. The values in the Soups and Desserts is reflective of the New Recipe, launched in September 2017.
| Product | Lactose per serve (g) | Lactose per 100g (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Shakes | ||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chocolate Shake | 9.0 | 17 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Vanilla Flavour Shake | 9.5 | 18 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Strawberry Flavour Shake | 9.5 | 18 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Coffee Shake | 8.5 | 16 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Banana Flavour Shake | 9.5 | 18 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Caramel Flavour Shake | 9.5 | 18 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chai Flavour Shake | 8.5 | 16 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Mocha Shake | 9.0 | 17 |
| Desserts | ||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chocolate Dessert | 8 | 15 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Lemon Crème Flavour Dessert | 8 | 15 |
| Soups | ||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Vegetable Soup | 7.4 | 14 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chicken Flavour Soup | 9.5 | 18 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Tomato Country Style Soup | 8.0 | 15 |
| Bars | ||
| OPTIFAST VLCD Chocolate Bar | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Berry Crunch Flavour Bar | 0.12 | 0.2 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Cappucino Flavour Bar | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| OPTIFAST VLCD Cereal Bar | 0.3 | 0.5 |
