Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Each serve of ElementGold Plus⁺ should be thought of as a 2150 KJ (500 kcal) meal so the number of serves you need is primarily determined by how much food energy you need. As with 'normal' food this will be different for evey person will take into account factors such as your gender, age weight and activity level.

For those using ElementGold Plus⁺ as the only food they eat (under the guidance of a medical professional), a rough guide is that adults tend to find a 1Kg tub (10 serves) lasts 1.5 to 2 days.

As with 'normal' food, some days you be be more hungry than others and need more or less serves.

In Australia, a 1 Kg tub (10 serves) of ElementGold Plus⁺ currently costs around $100 AUD and is a few dollars more for the vegan version. Customers will need to supply up to 15 mL of oil as a fat source per serve and well as any sweetener added to unsweetened versions.

Note that retailers may charge different amounts and shipping based on localised costs.

ElementGold Plus⁺ is currently only available in Australia and New Zealand. Visit the Buy Page for a list of resellers in Australia and New Zealand.

ElementGold Plus⁺ is a food and like all food in Australia and New Zealand it is regulated under the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code. It is not a medicine and does not require a script.

The whole protein added to ElementGold Plus ⁺ is isolated from whey, the liquid part of cows milk and is referred to as Whey Protein Isolate (WPI). There are a few important things to note though:

• The vegan version does not use WPI and instead has protein extracted fom rice.
• Milk itself is not the ingredient - it is the protein isolated from the liquid part of the milk (once the solid curds are removed).
• The WPI used in is very high purity and is specified to contain at least 95% protein but typically has 97.7^±0.7% protein.

If you are avoiding milk or milk-based ingredients the WPI based ElementGold Plus ⁺ may still be suitable for you depending on what components of milk you need to avoid:

Lactose
Lactose is the type of sugar found naturally in milk and trouble processing lactose is referred to as 'lactose intolerance'. Due to the very high purity protein used, ElementGold Plus ⁺ is suitable for most lactose intolerant people. A 325 mL serve of ElementGold Plus ⁺ contains 290 time less lactose than regular cow's milk. This is equivalent lactose of adding a 1 mL drop of milk into a 325 mL glass of water.

Although it is relatively rare, there are some people who are allergic to the protein itself that is isolated from milk whey and in those cases the vegan version is suitable.

Casein
Casein is the protein found in milk solids (curds). ElementGold Plus ⁺ contain no casein.

Milk Fat
A 325 mL serve of ElementGold Plus ⁺ contains 0.0048g of milk fat.

The unsweetened versions of ElementGold Plus ⁺ have been laboratory tested and certified Low FODMAP by Monash Low FODMAP.

Monash University Low FODMAP Certified trade marks used under licence in Australia. Monash University Low FODMAP Certified™ products. One serving of certified products is low in FODMAPs and can assist with following the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet™. A strict low FODMAP diet should only be commenced under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Monash University has assessed this product as being low in FODMAPs only. Adding other foods may also make this product no longer low FODMAP compliant.

None of the ingredients in ElementGold Plus ⁺ contain soy. The WPI contain a sunflower lecithin (not soy) to help it mix smoothly in the added water.

None of the ingredients in ElementGold Plus ⁺ contain corn. The carbohydrate used is maltodextrin from tapioca (not corn).

None of the ingredients in ElementGold Plus ⁺ contain gluten.

ElementGold Plus ⁺ is suitable for children but is not suitable for babies / infants.

Pregnant women should consult their doctor before using ElementGold Plus ⁺, with particular attention paid to vitamin and mineral levels.

If you suffer with Crohn's Disease, your healthcare professional may be considering a 'gut rest' diet where you would eat only an elemental food like ElementGold Plus⁺ usually for a period of one to three weeks. ElementGold Plus⁺ has been specifically formulated to provide the nutrition you need during this period¹ but such use must be under the guidance of a medical professional.

There have been clinical studies related to the use of elemental diets and Crohn's Disease. Descriptions of some of these studies can be found on the Science page.

1. ElementGold Plus⁺ conforms to the Food for Special Medical Purposes part of the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code including the sections making it suitable as the sole source of nutrition when used under the guidance of a medical professional.

Although Ulcerative Colitis is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) like Crohn's Disease, elemental diets are not typically used as part of gut rest diets in relation to Ulcerative Colitis.

However, it is common for UC sufferers to alter their diet as they attempt to avoid trigger ingredients (which can put them at a nutrition risk) and ElementGold Plus⁺ may be of use as a low-trigger form of food for occasional use.

There is some clinical evidence supporting the use of elemental diets with relationt to Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). This usually invloves a 'gut rest' diet where you would eat only an elemental food like ElementGold Plus⁺ usually for a period of one to three weeks. ElementGold Plus⁺ has been specifically formulated to provide the nutrition you need during this period¹ but such use must be under the guidance of a medical professional.

1. ElementGold Plus⁺ conforms to the Food for Special Medical Purposes part of the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code including the sections making it suitable as the sole source of nutrition when used under the guidance of a medical professional.

It is common for sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) to use elemental food like ElementGold Plus⁺ as a low-trigger, rapidly absorbed form of nutrition. It is common for IBS sufferers to alter their diet as they attempt to avoid trigger ingredients and that can put them at a nutrition risk which is where ElementGold Plus⁺ may be of occassional use.

ElementGold Plus⁺ is nutritionally dense and can be a suitable food for people who have trouble chewing or swallowing, including short term use after procedures.

ElementGold Plus⁺ can help in situations where it is difficult to gain or maintain weight. Each serve is providing around 2150 KJ (500 kcal) of balanced nutrition and the elemental nature of the ingredients aids absorption and hence can help maintain or gain weight.

In many cases you will be using ElementGold Plus ⁺ for the elemental nature of the ingredients. The addition of fruit or other non-elemental ingredients may defeat the purpose of consuming an elemental food.

In some cases adding fruit or other ingredients may be fine. For example, if you are taking advantage of the low trigger or high energy nature of ElementGold Plus ⁺ and you are adding an ingredient that you know does not trigger your digestive system then adding that ingredients may be suitable.

In many cases you will be using ElementGold Plus ⁺ for the elemental nature of the ingredients and adding milk (which is not elemental) will mean you are no longer consuming an elemental food.

If you are using ElementGold Plus ⁺ for the nutrients and the elemental nature is not important (such as if you have trouble chewing and are using it as a meal replacement) and milk is an ingredient you can tolerate then it is fine to use milk instead of water.

Yes, water itself contains no nutrients and adding more or less will not change the nutrients for a given amount of powder. However, ElementGold Plus⁺ contains a lot of minerals which can make you thirsty and if you are adding less water you should consider having more water by itself or in another suitable drink.

You can have a half serve of ElementGold Plus⁺ by having half the number of scoops of powder and usually half the water. You will simply be getting half the nutrients.

Yes, you can mix flavours of ElementGold Plus⁺ such as by having 2 scoops of one flavour and 2 scoops of another. However, most people find the vegan version does not mix well with the WPI versions because the texture of the proteins are different.