Nutrition for Healing
May 29, 2023
I just guess we all know that food is important for healing wounds. Especially in older people, who have lost their appetite for various reasons, it can be difficult to achieve a healthy nutrition status. Add to that restriction related to heart conditions or diabetes, and often we find that our patients do not sufficiently feed their bodies. Here are a few important facts about food and wound healing:
1. Do not attempt to lose weight when you are also trying to heal a wound. Wound healing requires additional energy (or food), so starving yourself also starves the wound and healing will be slow.
2. Realize that wounds with high amounts of drainage increase the water and protein loss in your body.
3. If you do not have the appetite or strength to eat a "normal meal", have several healthy small meals throughout the day.
4. Read the labels: try to reduce the sodium intake and pay attention to labels on canned goods. Opt for "No Salt Added" items.
5. Protein is the building block for healing wounds and is essential for healing. Dr. Nancy Collins - an expert on nutrition and wound healing- states on her website that a healthy person requires about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Doctors at Mount Sinai Health System state that people with wounds require 0.68 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. That is almost double the amount!
6. Protein does not need to expensive, here are some samples of more affordable foods:
Peanut butter: A two-tablespoon serving of this creamy nut butter provides 8 grams of protein.
Eggs: One large egg contains 6 grams of protein.
Edamame: one cup (155 grams) providing an impressive 17 grams of protein. This budget-friendly bean can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores for around $2 per 12-ounce (340-gram) bag.
Canned Tuna: Although a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving only contains around 99 calories, it includes about 20 grams of high-quality protein.
Plain Greek: Yogurt 8-ounce (224-gram) serving provides around 17 grams of protein.
Sunflower Seeds: Just one ounce contains about 6 grams of plant-based, vegan-friendly protein.
Black Beans: One cup (172 grams) of black beans also contains over 15 grams of protein.
Sardines: One can (92 grams) of sardines contains about 23 grams of highly absorbable protein plus many other important nutrients like vitamin D and B12.
Cottage Cheese: One cup (210 grams) of full-fat cottage cheese provides over 23 grams of protein and only 206 calories.
Whey Protein: On average, one scoop (28 grams) of whey protein powder provides an impressive 20 grams of protein.
Lentils: one cup (198 grams) providing 18 grams.
Oats: A 1/2-cup (78-gram) serving provides 13 grams of protein.
Amaranth: One cup (246 grams) of cooked amaranth provides over 9 grams of protein and is also a great source of folate, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.
Milk: One cup (244 grams) of whole milk contains over 8 grams of highly absorbable protein,
Pumpkin Seeds: Just one ounce (28 grams) of pumpkin seeds contains 7 grams of protein
Canned Salmon: A four-ounce (112-gram) serving of canned salmon has 26 grams of protein, along with tons of vitamins and minerals. These include B12, vitamin D, selenium and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
Ground Turkey: a three-ounce (28-gram) serving provides 23 grams of highly absorbable protein.
Here are some great resources:
https://www.eatright.org/health/health-conditions/diabetes/nutrition-tips-to-promote-wound-healing
https://myhealth.ucsd.edu/library/HealthSheets/3,S,60082
https://woundcarenutrition.com
References:
1. Collins, Nancy (n.d.) Healing From the Inside Out: Protein Basics. Retrieved from https://woundcarenutrition.com/education/patient-education/healing-from-the-inside-out-protein-basics/
2. Levine, J. M. & Cioroiu, M. (2022) Nutrition and Wound Healing. Retrieved from https://health.mountsinai.org/blog/nutrition-wound-healing/