Investigating the impact of Optimized Nutri-Dense Meals on diet-related quality of life after gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Objective Gastrectomy is an essential component of gastric cancer treatment. However, it is often accompanied by appetite loss, reduced food intake, malabsorption, and body weight loss, which inevitably contribute to a decline in diet-related quality of life (QOL). In this study, we investigated the effects of Optimized Nutri-Dense Meals (Opti Meal) on patients following gastrectomy. Opti Meal is a newly developed balanced diet containing 33 essential nutrients. Methods Thirty-nine patients who had undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer consumed one serving of Opti Meal every other day for 4 weeks. Changes in diet-related QOL scores, body weight, blood test parameters, and the safety of Opti Meal were evaluated. Results The 39 participants comprised 20 patients who underwent total gastrectomy, 17 distal gastrectomy, 1 proximal gastrectomy, and 1 pylorus-preserving gastrectomy. No changes in body weight or nutrition-related laboratory data were observed after Opti Meal consumption. However, diet-related QOL scores—including enjoyment of meals, dietary satisfaction, dietary environment, vitality, and mental health—increased significantly after 4 weeks of Opti Meal intake. By surgical procedure, patients who underwent total gastrectomy showed a significantly greater improvement in “enjoyment of meals” compared with those in other surgical groups. No safety issues were identified with Opti Meal consumption. Conclusion Dietary intervention with Opti Meal may be beneficial for improving diet-related QOL after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.