Gelled water
Gelodiet Gelled Water
Under 34 kcal per 100 g · pack of 4 pots
A flavoured, sweetened water, in six fruit flavours.
Dosage up to 11 pots a day, to be adjusted according to medical advice.
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Gelodiet
Water, with the right texture.
Water you can swallow is water you drink. Ready-to-use gelled water and a thickening powder, so you can keep hydrated when liquids are hard to swallow.
Understanding
When swallowing becomes difficult.
A cough when drinking, a meal that drags on: difficulty swallowing, which doctors call dysphagia, often sets in quietly. Liquids, which flow quickly, are the hardest to control.
- NormallyWhen you swallow, muscles close off the entrance to the airways in a fraction of a second. The drink goes down to the stomach.
- When the reflex slows downWith age or certain illnesses, this passage closes too late. Water, which flows quickly, can then go towards the lungs: this is aspiration.
- With a gelled drinkBeing thicker, it goes down more slowly. The muscles have time to close the passage to the lungs before it arrives.
Signs to look out for
Coughing or clearing your throat during or after meals, a wet-sounding voice, meals that take longer, avoiding glasses of water.
What it leads to
When you do not drink enough, the risk of dehydration increases. Repeated aspiration puts you at risk of chest infections.
Who is affected
It is common after a stroke, in neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and with advancing age.
Diagnosis and the choice of texture are for the doctor, speech therapist or dietitian to decide.
Gelled water
Water you eat with a spoon.
A firm texture that stays thick in the mouth and encourages the swallowing reflex. Ready to use and gelatine-free.
- 90%water, minimum
- 120 gper pot
- 11pots a day, maximum
- 10flavours
Gelled water
Gelodiet Gelled Water sugar-free
97% water · under 5 kcal per 100 g
A version with sweeteners, suitable for sugar-restricted diets. Four flavours.
Dosage up to 11 pots a day, to be adjusted according to medical advice.
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Thickening powder
Thicken without changing the taste.
A neutral powder that thickens drinks, soups and puréed dishes, hot or cold. The consistency stays stable in contact with saliva, long enough for you to swallow.
- 4.6 gper level scoop
- 225 gper tin
- Neutralhot or cold
- 3 yearsminimum age
Four texture levels.
Guide dosage for 200 ml, in level scoops, by IDDSI level. The texture is set case by case by the healthcare professional.
- Level 1Slightly Thick1.5 scoopViscosity: 51 to 350 cP
- Level 2Mildly Thick2 scoopsViscosity: 51 to 350 cP
- Level 3Moderately Thick2.5 scoopsViscosity: 351 to 1 750 cP
- Level 4Extremely Thick3 scoopsViscosity: over 1 750 cP
Check the texture at home.
The same dose does not always give exactly the same texture: the drink and its temperature make a difference. Three simple tests, using what you have in your kitchen, let you check.
Levels 1 to 3
With a syringe
- Take a 10 ml syringe, without a needle. Your pharmacist can give you one.
- Cover the tip with your finger and fill the syringe to the 10 ml line.
- Remove your finger and let it flow for 10 seconds, then cover the tip again.
What is left in the syringe
- Level 11 to 4 ml
- Level 24 to 8 ml
- Level 3more than 8 ml
Levels 3 and 4
With a fork
- Dip a fork into the mixture and lift it out.
- Watch what happens between the prongs of the fork.
What you should see
- Level 3The mixture drips slowly through the prongs in large drops.
- Level 4It stays in a mound on the fork. A small drop may form underneath, without dripping.
Level 4
With a spoon
- Fill a spoon and tilt it gently.
What you should see
- Level 4The mixture holds its shape on the spoon, then slides off in one piece, leaving very little residue. It is not sticky.
The texture level is set by the speech therapist or doctor. If the result does not match, adjust the dose and repeat the test, or ask for advice. Tests based on IDDSI methods (iddsi.org), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Day to day.
The right texture
It may change over time: check regularly with your healthcare professional that it still suits your swallowing.
With a spoon
Gelled water is best taken chilled. A thickened preparation keeps like any other food and can be frozen.
After opening
Opened pot: in the fridge, 24 hours maximum. Tin of powder: close tightly and use within 10 weeks.
Where can you find Gelodiet?
At your pharmacy. Your pharmacist can order the whole range from their wholesaler, or directly from BSNUTRITION: we deliver to pharmacies within 24 hours, except on public holidays.
Reviewed by Steeve Roland, physiotherapist, over 20 years in clinical nutrition, founder of BSNUTRITION · Updated on
Publisher: BS NUTRITION SA, Rue de l’Industrie 20, 1400 Nivelles, Belgium. Legal notice