PROTEIN
To heal wounds – surgical wounds or otherwise, the body needs to have sufficient protein. Protein is the building block of wound healing and if a person is deficient in protein, they will not be able to heal a wound properly or expediently.
The recommended allotment for a sedentary adult is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and the requirement would be more for someone who is trying to heal a wound. This would translate to 56 grams of protein for a man, and about 46 grams of protein for a woman. Plant based protein is fine, but you need to make sure you are getting a “complete” protein which is to say that it contains all the essential amino acids (amino acids make up protein). Some complete proteins include:
Fish.
Poultry.
Eggs.
Beef.
Pork.
Dairy.
Whole sources of soy (tofu, edamame, tempeh, miso)
If you feel you need a protein supplement, there are a variety of protein powders that are great! I really like whey protein powders like Naked Whey which only has 100% Grass Fed Pure Whey Protein with zero additives as well as no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors and is GMO-Free, No rBGH or rBST, Soy Free and Gluten-Free.
VITAMIN A & VITAMIN C
In addition, your body needs certain vitamins and minerals to be able to heal properly and undergo surgery smoothly.
Vitamin A plus beta-carotene are essential for the maintenance of healthy epithelial tissue as well as cell growth.
Vitamin C is important in the formation of collagen, which is the building block of all wound healing!
Vitamin C specifically one has to be careful of the brands one uses as many (most) use GMO Corn from China. I would recommend Doctor's Best from the Uk.
ZINC
Zinc plays an important role in maintaining immune function and the synthesis of collagen formation so this is very important to start taking pre-op! But it must be paired with Copper to have the proper function. It should also be paired with Quercetin to drive it into the cell. I would use these two products together for the best results. Ionic Zinc Plus Copper Liquid Concentrate from Triquetra Health and Ultra High Purity Quercetin from Toniiq.
BROMELAIN & QUERCETIN
Bromelain and Quercetin are ideal for use after physical stress (post op) and are important natural anti-inflammatory medications which can help dramatically with healing. If you are looking for high quality quercetin supplement, I like Toniiq as a brand in general.
TO SUM THINGS UP:
Pre-Op:
Vitamin A
Zinc
Vitamin C
Protein Supplementation as needed
Popst-Op:
Bromelain
Quercetin
Vitamin A
Zinc
Vitamin C
Protein Supplementation as needed
Eating healthy whole foods, exercising and getting lots of sleep in addition to supplementation are all great ways to prepare for surgery! The same effort should be made post-op to ensure optimal healing (maybe hold off on the exercise until fully healed).
Hope this simple list of pre and post op supplements helps you look and feel your best!
Until next time,
Dr. Alexes Hazen
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