Abstract: Disclosed is a novel nutritional branched chain amino acid composition and its use for treatment of a patients suffering stress or injury, especially useful for parenteral or enteral alimentation of a patient suffering total or partial dysfunction or disuse of the gastrointestinal tract. The novel composition promotes and even optimizes patient wound healing, immune competence, host defense, and/or survival. The amino acids comprise from about 70 to 100% valine, isoleucine, and leucine, collectively, in a ratio of A:B:C, respectively, where A, B and C each independently has value from about 1 to 2. The novel composition is preferably used in the form of a parenteral infusion solution of from about 2 to 6%, most preferably 4% concentration.