People with CF and their Carers

What is Paravit®-CF?

Paravit®-CF is a fat-soluble vitamin supplement specially designed for people with Cystic Fibrosis. It is available in Liquid form and Softgel Capsule form.

Paravit®-CF offers several advantages over standard vitamin supplements as it:

  • Contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, in higher amounts than those found in regular food supplements1
  • Combines all four vitamins in one convenient daily dose, reducing the number of alternative tablets/ capsules otherwise required
  • Is designed for optimal vitamin absorption, using Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) absorption technology to deliver the vitamins
  • Was developed with support from healthcare professionals
  • Is regulated and classified as a Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP), for use under medical supervision.

MCT absorption technology:

Most people with CF cannot absorb fat effectively from their food, including the four fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K; this is especially a problem for those who do not produce enough pancreatic enzymes or bile acids for digestion.

Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) oil is a fat source used to “carry” the fat-soluble vitamins in Paravit®-CF across the gut wall, to be stored (or used) in the body. Unlike more widely consumed Long Chain Triglycerides (LCT), MCT digestion and absorption is simple, as they travel passively through the gut wall, directly to the bloodstream2. They are absorbed without pancreatic enzymes or bile salts3, making Paravit™-CF suitable for people with Cystic Fibrosis and those who are “pancreatic insufficient”.

  1. Paravit®-CF Patient information leaflet
  2. Gracey M et al. Medium Chain Triglycerides in Paediatric Practice. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1970, 45, 445
  3. Symersky et al. The effect of equicaloric medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides on pancreas enzyme secretion. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging. 2002; 22:5, 307-311 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1475-097X.2002.00435.x