Foods That Promote Wound Healing
Diet post-surgery is essential. Certain foods trigger uncomfortable complications while others help you recover quicker. This article will suggest you certain foods that promote wound healing!
Post-surgery, your healthcare provider will specify the foods you should eat or avoid depending on your pre-existing health condition or the type of surgery.
However, your appetite and ability to tolerate foods might be lower during recovery. A regular diet may not be enough for wound healing. Try these!
What Foods To Eat After Surgery To Promote Healing?
1. Garlic
Garlic is a well-known natural remedy for colds and flu.
It effectively promotes healing due to its antibacterial and anti-viral properties. Garlic also has different compounds that reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Garlic is known for its anti-tumor and anti-microbial effects. It also reduces blood glucose concentration.
Source: National Library Of Medicine[1]
Garlic
2. Ginger
Ginger is another natural remedy that effectively treats nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness.
It has anti-inflammatory properties that promote healing. Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis, migraines, and hypertension.
Source: National Library Of Medicine[2]
Ginger
Turmeric
3. Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice well known to reduce pain.
A wide range of ailments, like inflammation and pain, can be treated with turmeric.
It also has strong anti-microbial properties that prevent bacterial infections in and around surgical wounds.
Source: National Library Of Medicine[3]
4. Fish oil
It is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial in promoting healing.
Omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation and promote tissue regeneration.
Source: National Library Of Medicine[4]
Fish Oil
Coconut Oil
5. Coconut
Coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer, anti-bacterial cream, or to heal wound marks.
Further, it is also effective in healing the skin due to its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Source: Pubmed[5]
6. Aloe vera
It is a plant well known for its healing sunburns, skin irritations, and especially scars or stitch marks post-surgery.
Likewise, it is very effective against bacterial skin infections.
Aloe vera gel also is widely used to soothe the burning sensations around the wounds.
Source: IJMS[6]
Aloe Vera
7. Honey
It is a natural sweetener that has many health benefits.
Honey can not only be eaten, but you can also apply it to the skin.
Similarly, it effectively promotes healing due to its anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties.
Source: Pubmed[7]
Which Foods To Avoid During Wound Healing?
Foods like sugar, caffeine, and alcohol can harm your surgical wound.
Most importantly, avoid excessive consumption of unhealthy fats and carbohydrates, sugar, and salt.
These include doughnuts, cookies, fried foods, candy, and regular soda.
Along with food, lifestyle changes are also essential.
Above all, rest is also vital. It promotes quicker recovery from any illness or surgery.[8]
Lack of sleep causes the immune function to be latent and delays recovery.
Additionally, it is best to avoid smoking or consuming alcohol during recovery.
Smoking and drinking are known to suppress your immune system and could promote infections.[9] [10]
Staying hydrated is also very essential.
Conclusion
We hope this article will help you choose the best food to complement your medications and fasten the healing process.
Get in touch with us today to plan your surgery abroad!
FAQs
Here are a few tea and juices[11]
| Name Of The Drink | Healing Properties |
| Chamomile Tea | Anti-inflammatory Properties |
| Ginger Tea | Helps in Reducing Pain |
| Moringa Tea/ Juice | Anti-bacterial Properties |
| Celery Juice | Anti-fungal and Anti-inflammatory Properties |
| Turmeric Latte/ Milk | Anti-inflammatory Properties + Helps In Reducing Pain |
Many dairy products[12] like milk, curd, and cheese facilitate wound healing and repair damaged tissues in a short time. They fight against infections and restore the tissue's original integrity.
Milk is a rich nutrient. Moreover, it is also a good candidate for novel wound-healing formulations.
On the other hand, you should avoid dairy products during wound healing if you are lactose intolerant or have dairy allergies.
Chronic wound healing can be delayed due to infections and abnormal bacterial presence, pressure on the wound, and trauma.
In addition, the healing process can be affected by diabetes, arteriosclerosis, malnutrition, and malignancies.
Above all, take good care of the wound by cleaning it regularly and drying it. However, if you notice any abnormal discharge or pus, you should immediately contact your doctor.
You can include the following healthy fats & carbohydrates -
Healthy Fats
While we always associate the consumption of fats with unhealthy, there are a few natural fats foods that promote wound healing.[13] When consumed in a balanced quantity, healthy fats exhibit favorable properties that enhance the process of acute and chronic wound healing.[14]
| Unhealthy Fats | Moderately Healthy Fats | Healthy Fats |
| Butter | Corn oil | Canola oil |
| Pork Fat | Fish oils | Almond oil |
| Red Meat | Soybean oil | Walnut oil |
| Poultry | Safflower oil | Olive oil |
| Palm Kernel Oil | Sesame oil | Peanut oil |
| Margarine | Cottonseed oil | Avocado |
| Dairy foods (other than skim) | Sunflower oil | Olives |
| Partially hydrogenated oils | Nuts and seeds | Peanut butter |
Healthy Carbohydrates
According to the University of Nottingham,[15] healthy Carbohydrates will also benefit you in the following ways-
- Providing energy for leukocytes and macrophages (white blood cells).
- Stimulates fibroblast growth.
- It enhances collagen production (the framework for new tissue).
- Glucose (digested carbohydrates) provides energy for white blood cells.
| Healthy Carbohydrates[16] | Moderately Healthy Carbohydrates | Unhealthy Carbohydrates |
| Bran cereals | Pearled barley | Baked potato |
| Fruits | Brown rice | French fries |
| Vegetables | Oatmeal | Refined breakfast cereal |
| Kidney beans | Bulgur | Sugar |
| Wheat tortilla | Rice cakes | Candy bars |
| Lentils | Whole-grain bread | White rice |
| Dry Fruits | Whole-grain pasta | White-flour pasta |
References
- NIH: Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects
- NIH: The Amazing and Mighty Ginger
- NCBI: Turmeric, the Golden Spice
- NIH: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- PMC: Coconut: in health promotion and disease prevention
- IJMS: The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
- PMC: Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity
- PMC: Sleep, recovery, and meta regulation: explaining the benefits of sleep
- NIH: Smoking, Chronic Wound Healing, and Implications for Evidence-Based Practice
- PMC: The importance of hydration in wound healing: reinvigorating the clinical perspective
- Health Central: Drinks That Warm You Up and Heal You at the Same Time
- Science Direct: Wound healing property of milk in full-thickness wound model of rabbit
- Nottingham University: Nutrition in Wound Healing