Malnutrition is a frequent and serious problem in geriatric patients. In ill elderly subjects it is one of the most common and least-heeded problems in hospitals and nursing homes^((1-4)). The prevalence of undernutrition among older patients in nursing homes and hospitals reaches high levels, 〖30–60 %〗^((5)). According to a recent review, a high prevalence of malnutrition is reported in hospitalized and institutionalized elderly patients: 23 (SE 0.5) % (range 1–74 %) in hospitals (thirty-five studies, 8596 elderly subjects) and 21 (SE 0.5) % (range 5–71 %) in institutions (thirty-two studies, 6821 elderly subjects). An even higher prevalence of risk of malnutrition is observed in the same populations: 46 (SE 0.5) % (range 8–63 %) and 51 (SE 0.6) % (range 27–70 %), respectively. In cognitively impaired elderly patients (ten studies, 2051 elderly subjects), the prevalence of malnutrition was 15 (SE 0.8) % (range 0–62 %) and 44 (SE 1.1) % (range 19–87 %) were at risk of〖 malnutrition〗^((6)). Different studies have also suggested that malnutrition is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality in the elderly^((7,8)).