What we have thought about
After operations and injuries, it is especially important to provide your body with all the necessary nutrients to enable optimal regeneration.
This includes first of all an adequate calorie intake with balanced amounts of fats (especially the polyunsaturated omega 3 and 6 fatty acids), carbohydrates and proteins (protein). Proteins in particular play a very important role. According to studies, the most important amino acids for wound healing are arginine and glutamine - best in combination with the anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids. The requirement varies greatly depending on the extent of the wound area and can increase many times over.
Micronutrients are also very important because they regulate the immune system, play a central role in the function of enzymes and in the formation of new cells and collagen. Normal wound healing occurs in several phases:
- Phase: Exudative or inflammation phase: here your body "flushes" old cells and foreign substances out of the wound and redness and swelling occur.
- Phase: Granulation or proliferation phase : there is a lot to do here - new cells and blood vessels are formed, a collagen network so that everything holds together. Many building blocks are needed for this
- Phase: Epithelialisation phase: this is the fine-tuning: new surface cells are formed so that afterwards everything looks as if nothing ever happened again 😉
So what do we need so that our body can really regenerate well? Not only does it need many building blocks, but it should also be protected as well as possible from infections and free radicals. Micronutrients also help the immune system function as it should and support the formation of new cells.
The fat-soluble vitamin E is a radical scavenger and protects your cells from oxidative stress.
Vitamin A is also a fat-soluble vitamin with special properties when it comes to collagen synthesis, cell division and differentiation (=specialization). It is important for a stable collagen network to develop and also contributes to the normal function of the immune system to keep the wound clean.
Everyone knows that vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant and is important for a normal immune system and energy metabolism - it is credited with reducing mast cell activity and thus heparin release so that the wound does not bleed as much. In addition, it is also needed for collagen synthesis as well as many enzymatic processes. That is why the demand is so high.
Vitamin B5 is also called panthothenic acid or "anti-stress vitamin" because it helps us maintain a normal energy metabolism and is important in the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters (messengers between nerves). Chemical compounds - so called amides - that are formed from pathothenic acid have antimicrobial properties and keep our wounds clean. But panthothenic acid can do much more: it improves skin barrier function and moisturizes our skin. Coenzyme A is also formed from pathothenic acid.
Copper and selenium belong to the essential trace elements and are cofactors of numerous enzymes that reduce cell damage.
Calcium not only plays an important role in building new muscle cells and bone structures, but is also a prerequisite for our blood clotting to function normally.
Zinc is a component of numerous enzymes and essential for the synthesis of nucleic acids (i.e. our DNA) and proteins of regenerating cells. In wound healing, zinc serves, among other things, as a cofactor for the synthesis of collagen and helps to protect the cells from oxidative stress.
Through its influence on cell division, zinc can promote the formation of new cells.
There are large differences in the bioavailability of different zinc preparations. Zinc sulphate has been well studied and is considered the standard of bioavailability. It is best absorbed when taken on an empty stomach.
Food supplements
Do not exceed the recommended daily intake. Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and varied diet.
Keep out of reach of children.
Storage
Store in a dry, cool place away from light. Keep away from heat and direct sunlight.
Packing
Packed in a light-protected PETPacker can - free of BPA.
What else can I do for good wound healing?
It is important that the wound remains clean (i.e. free of infection) and well supplied with blood. In the first 24 h it may be useful to additionally cool the wound to reduce bruising and swelling - but you should discuss this in detail with your surgeon.
As nicotine contributes to the constriction of small blood vessels and the activation of blood platelets, it is important not to smoke.
In addition, the wound should not be under tension - this means rest and possibly elevation are very useful.
If you have diabetes, optimal blood sugar control is particularly important in this phase.
Dehydration can impair wound healing, so please drink enough (unsweetened) fluids, i.e. approx. 1.5-2 l per day.
