What is the recommended dosage of Beneprotein (whey protein) for a patient with liver disease to support their dietary needs?

Beneprotein Protein Content

Beneprotein contains 6 grams of whey protein per scoop (7 grams powder).

While the provided evidence does not contain specific product labeling for Beneprotein, this is standard formulation information for this commercial whey protein supplement commonly used in clinical nutrition.

Dosing Recommendations for Liver Disease Patients

For patients with liver disease requiring protein supplementation, the target protein intake is 1.2-1.5 g/kg body weight per day, which translates to approximately 3-4 scoops of Beneprotein per 20 kg of body weight daily, divided throughout the day. 1

Specific Protein Requirements by Clinical Context

Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis:

• Target: 1.2-1.5 g/kg/day of protein 1
• Energy: 30-35 kcal/kg/day 1
• Never restrict protein, even in hepatic encephalopathy 1

Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis:

• Same protein target: 1.2-1.5 g/kg/day 1
• Oral nutritional supplements should be used when oral intake alone cannot meet requirements 1
• Late evening or nocturnal supplementation is specifically recommended to reduce accelerated starvation 1

Acute Liver Failure:

• Standard enteral formulas with whole protein can be safely used 1
• Start with low doses and advance gradually, independent of hepatic encephalopathy grade 1

Practical Application

For a 70 kg patient with cirrhosis:

• Protein requirement: 84-105 g/day (70 kg × 1.2-1.5 g/kg)
• This equals approximately 14-17 scoops of Beneprotein daily if used as sole protein source
• More realistically, Beneprotein serves as supplementation to dietary protein, typically adding 2-4 scoops (12-24 g protein) divided throughout the day

Key Clinical Considerations

Whey vs. Other Protein Sources:

• Standard whey protein formulas are appropriate for liver disease patients 1
• No evidence supports disease-specific formulas over standard whole protein 1
• Vegetable and dairy proteins may be better tolerated than meat protein in hepatic encephalopathy, though whey (a dairy protein) is acceptable 1
• Recent evidence shows whey protein supplementation (20 g twice daily for 15 days) impacts immunomodulatory responses in chronic liver disease patients 2

Timing Strategy:

• Provide a late evening snack (between 7 PM-10 PM) to shorten nocturnal fasting 1
• Small frequent meals throughout the day 1
• This addresses the accelerated starvation state in cirrhosis 1

Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Do not restrict protein in hepatic encephalopathy—this is outdated practice and detrimental 1, 3
• Do not use specialized BCAA-enriched formulas as first-line; standard formulas are equally effective and more cost-effective 1
• Adjust calculations for actual body weight corrected for ascites when present 1

Route Preference:

• Oral supplementation is first-line 1
• Enteral nutrition via nasogastric/nasojejunal tube if oral intake inadequate 1
• Parenteral nutrition only as second-line when enteral route impossible 1