Juven is a therapeutic nutrition powder made by Abbott that contains three core active ingredients: L-arginine, L-glutamine, and HMB (a compound derived from the amino acid leucine). It also includes hydrolyzed beef collagen and small amounts of vitamins C, E, zinc, and B12. Each packet is designed to supply the building blocks your body needs to repair tissue, particularly during wound healing or recovery from surgery.
The Three Active Ingredients
Each 27.8-gram packet of Juven delivers 7 grams of L-arginine, 7 grams of L-glutamine, and a dose of calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, commonly called HMB. These three ingredients do different jobs in the healing process, and the formula is built around the idea that combining them gives your body more of what it burns through during tissue repair.
L-Arginine (7 g) is an amino acid your body uses to form collagen, grow new cells, and build new blood vessels at a wound site. All three of those processes are essential for closing and strengthening damaged tissue. During illness or injury, your body’s demand for arginine often outpaces what you get from food alone.
L-Glutamine (7 g) serves as a fuel source for rapidly dividing cells, including the immune cells and skin cells that drive wound repair. It supplies both energy and the raw material for new DNA in those fast-turnover cells. Like arginine, glutamine can become conditionally essential when your body is under the stress of healing.
HMB is a natural byproduct your body produces in tiny amounts when it breaks down leucine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods. Supplemental HMB stimulates protein synthesis and, just as importantly, slows protein breakdown. That dual action helps preserve muscle mass during periods of bed rest or reduced activity, which is common after surgery or during a long wound-healing process.
Collagen and Micronutrients
Each serving also provides 2.5 grams of protein from hydrolyzed beef collagen. Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in skin, tendons, and connective tissue, so supplying it in a pre-broken-down (hydrolyzed) form gives your body ready-to-use peptides for tissue rebuilding.
Rounding out the formula are several micronutrients listed at less than 2% of the packet’s weight: ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin E, zinc, and vitamin B12. Vitamin C is required for your body to actually assemble collagen fibers. Zinc supports immune function and cell division. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, helping protect new tissue from damage. These aren’t present in mega-dose quantities, but they fill gaps that can slow healing if you’re deficient.
Other Inactive Ingredients
Beyond the active ingredients, Juven packets contain citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, and sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame potassium). The flavored versions, like Orange, include a small amount of sugar and food coloring (Yellow 6). An unflavored version is available with zero total sugars and zero added sugars, which can be useful if you’re mixing it into food or managing blood sugar levels.
Juven currently comes in four varieties: Orange, Fruit Punch, Pineapple Coconut, and Unflavored. The core active ingredient profile is the same across all versions.
Who Juven Is Designed For
Juven is categorized as a medical nutrition product, not a general wellness supplement. It’s typically recommended for people recovering from pressure injuries, diabetic foot ulcers, surgical incisions, or burns. Research on wound-specific oral nutritional supplements like Juven has shown that specialized supplementation, combined with standard wound care, can meaningfully improve healing outcomes for these types of wounds. Malnourished patients are especially vulnerable to delayed healing and infections, making targeted nutritional support more important.
Most people take two packets per day, mixed into water or another beverage. Because of the high arginine and glutamine content, people with kidney disease or liver disease should talk with their care team before using it, since these conditions affect how the body processes amino acids. The product is not intended as a meal replacement or a general protein shake. It’s a targeted formula meant to be used alongside a regular diet during active recovery.