Nutritional supplements for pancreatic cancer

If you are losing weight or struggling to eat, your dietitian will suggest some changes that you can make to your diet. This can help you to get more calories (energy) and protein. If changes to your diet don’t help, you may be given nutritional supplements.

You need to take PERT with most nutritional supplements. Your dietitian can explain how to take them and how much PERT you need.

Types of nutritional supplements

There are different types of nutritional supplements. Brands include Fortisip^® and Ensure^®. Some are milk based, some are like juices, smoothies, puddings, or soups. They can be savoury or sweet.

Tips for taking supplements

Nutritional supplements do not come in a wide range of flavours, but there are things you can do.

• Try different supplements to find one you like.
• Add milkshake mixes or coffee syrups for more flavours.
• To give you more options, you could have the supplements chilled, or freeze them into ice lolly moulds or ice cube trays.
• Don’t forget to take PERT with the supplements.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

If you are not digesting your food properly, you may not get enough vitamins and minerals. Ask your doctor or dietitian if vitamin and mineral supplements would help.

Don’t take very high doses of these supplements, and don’t take them without talking to your doctor first. This is because they can affect the way some medicines work.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are often absorbed better if you take them with a meal. If you take any supplements containing oil (like cod liver oil), take PERT with these.

Updated March 2025

Review date March 2028