The do’s and don’ts of arginine supplementation

Nutritional therapy (in critical care) has generally been designed to meet the body’s nutritional needs for energy, protein and micronutrients. More recently, specialised nutritional supplements have been added to the standard enteral feeds to modulate the immune system. These nutrient supplements have been combined to form speciality enteral products referred to as immune-enhancing diets (IED). The body of literature supporting the use of IED has grown substantially in recent years and in 2001 consensus guidelines were developed by a panel of leading experts in the field.