Proper nutrition for a fracture
Content:
- Protein recovery in fracture
- Calcium and Vitamin D for Fracture Diet
- What should not be eaten with a fracture?
- Fracture nutritional regimen
Thanks to numerous studies in the field of proper nutrition and diets, it has been proven that in fractures of bones of varying degrees of complexity, foods that contribute to the rapid healing of bones and cartilage tissue play an important role.
What makes these products such a property? Undoubtedly, certain substances involved in the formation of the process of bone fusion.
Protein recovery in fracture
If a fracture of a bone is associated with damage to tendons and muscles (as is usually the case), then the body loses the lion's share of protein. To restore the loss, vitamins B, C, D, calcium, phosphorus and zinc are needed. In case of insufficient intake of protein in the human body with food, "reserve" blood protein will be consumed. If you call this process a medical term, then hypoproteinemia will occur. As a result, there will be little protein in the blood and the general condition of the body will worsen, and this will lead to poor bone fusion and extremely slow formation of new bone and cartilage tissue.
If there is a fracture of some large bone, then the patient should consume up to 150 grams of protein per day. Half of which are of animal origin and half of plant origin. It can be meat, fish or eggs. Also, various jelly-like products, which contain gelatin or any jelly-forming element, are good for bone recovery. For example, pork or chicken jellied meat, homemade jelly and jelly.
On the subject: the role of aspic and chicken cartilage in the restoration of joints
Calcium and Vitamin D for Fracture Diet
Calcium and vitamin D should be attributed to substances-helpers that help the bone healing process, first of all, they, as an ambulance, help a person quickly recover after a fracture. If these substances enter the body in sufficient quantities, then the process of bone regeneration is smooth and fast.
Foods that contain calcium include:
-
all dairy products (sour cream, kefir, yogurt, cheese, fermented baked milk, yogurt), and especially low-fat cottage cheese;
- nuts, seeds and legumes (the leader of this group is beans, followed by green peas, lentils and soybeans, from seeds - sesame, almonds and poppy seeds, but only these products are not able to satisfy the real need of the human body for calcium);
- vegetables and fruits, herbs and berries (the calcium content in them is not so high, but they have elements that contribute to its good absorption, these are asparagus, carrots, seaweed, broccoli, celery, turnips, radishes, strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries, grapes, currants, cherries and apricots);
- seafood (sardines and salmon).
Foods rich in vitamin D include:
- fish oil (record holder for vitamin D content). More importantly, fish oil is a source of omega-3 fats!
- fish (cod and halibut);
- raw egg yolk, vegetable oil and liver;
- oats, alfalfa, nettle, dandelion, parsley, and horsetail;
- potatoes.
It is also known that the human body can independently synthesize vitamin D using ultraviolet light from sunlight. This suggests that even with plaster, similar to thick armor, you need to be "in the sun" more often. This will allow the process of bone repair to proceed faster.
Vitamin C as a connecting link in the fracture diet
However, not only vitamin D and calcium help with fractures. Vitamin C will always come to their aid. The work of these three components can be compared to the process of building a house, for which it is not enough to have only concrete (calcium and vitamin D), but also reinforcement is needed in the role of connective tissue, whose role is played by vitamin C. In order for the body to have enough of it, it is necessary to consume sweet bell peppers and citrus fruits. They can be eaten neat or as fresh juice.
Unfortunately, not everyone can afford natural juice every day, and then the pharmacy ascorbic acid will be quite the best replacement option. It contains the same vitamin C, but only in canned form. It is also found in foods such as parsley, black currant, fresh rose hips, honeysuckle, kiwi, sea buckthorn and juniper.
What should not be eaten with a fracture?
There are a number of foods that are undesirable and even contraindicated to consume in the event of a fracture. These can be safely attributed to:
- alcohol (prevents cells from forming bone and cartilage tissue, leads to bone destruction);
- fatty foods in large quantities (interferes with the absorption of calcium, as a result of which it simply passes through the entire body and leaves it, without having any beneficial effect);
- coffee and strong tea;
- carbonated drinks;
- chocolate and other sweet foods.
Fracture nutritional regimen
With a fracture, the body experiences an additional load due to the healing process of bone tissue, so you cannot eat at this time anyhow. The diet at this time should be special. The fluid consumed should not be less than two liters per day. It is advisable to divide all daily food into 5-6 parts, making the food fractional during the day.
It should be remembered that it is better not to eat too high-calorie food, because the healing process of a fracture usually takes place in bed with little physical activity, which means that fat burning will be extremely slow. The excess weight gained during treatment will subsequently lead to stress on the legs.
It usually takes 40-60 days for a bone to recover after a fracture. However, it is rather difficult to give an exact figure. Factors affecting the duration of healing and rehabilitation are: the patient's state of health at the time of the fracture and after it, the type of the fracture itself, as well as proper nutrition or diet. It is a properly designed diet that is the fundamental link in recovery. Often, this issue is given a small share of attention, focusing more on the prescribed medications and pain relievers. However, with proper nutrition, the general condition of the body improves and the formation of bone and muscle tissue accelerates.
Author of the article: Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich | Orthopedist
Education: diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received in 2009 at the Medical Academy. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012 completed postgraduate studies in Traumatology and Orthopedics at the City Clinical Hospital named after Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery.
