Everyone during his or her lifetime gets cuts and scrapes along the way.
Americans are getting more than 12 million cuts and other wounds every year,
according to doctor’s estimation.
The skin is usually able to heal itself by showing signs of quick regeneration.
But you have to eat the right foods for healing to occur.
Nutrients like Vitamin C, protein and zinc are the building blocks for new skin.
If you don’t get enough of them in your diet, it takes longer for wounds to heal.
Protein
Protein is essential for healing cuts and wounds, but it isn’t always available
where you need it most. Only about 10% of the body’s protein is found in the
skin, and the rest is used elsewhere in the body.
Protein is used for energy before it goes to healing.
The need for protein can double,when your body goes into healing mode.
For example, when you get 50 grams of protein per day, you have to increase
this to 100 gram per day, when you have burned yourself.
The amount of protein you need depends mainly on the severity of the wound.
If you are recovering from massive burns, for example, you may need to increase
your protein intake by stirring non-fat dry-milk into milk, cereal, soups, and
graves, having desserts made with eggs, such as pudding or gustard, and adding
shredded cheese to vegetable dishes.
Meats are one of the best sources of protein. A 3-ounce serving of flank steak
for example, has 23 grams of protein, which is about 46% of the Daily Value.
If you are not a meat eater, you can also get protein from fish, beans, nuts,
and grains. Tofu is also an impressive source of protein. A 4-ounce serving
has more than 9 grams, which is about the same you get from 11/4 ounces of
ground beef.
Vitamin C
Orange juice is a favorite home remedy against colds, because the vitamin C
it contains helps to strengthen your immune system. Vitamin C helps for wounds
as well. If you’re not getting enough vitamin C in your diet, you are more
susceptible to infections.
Also, vitamin C is essential for strengthening collagen, the tissue that helps
to hold skin cells together.
When there is not enough vitamin C in your diet, collagen gets weaker and
it takes longer for wounds to heal. Tissue integrity, the actual strength of the skin,
relies on vitamin C.
Whether you have a cut, a burn, or any other kind of wound, it’s a good idea
to get at least 500 milligrams of vitamin C per day. Or about 8 times the recommended
Daily value of 60 milligrams.
In fact, you can take even more than that – up to 1000 milligrams a day.
This is especially true for older people and smokers, because these people often
don’t have enough vitamin C
Strawberries, broccoli, cantaloupe, tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes.
For example, a half-cup serving of red bell peppers has 95 milligrams of vitamin C,
or 158% of the Daily Value, while an orange has nearly 70 milligrams, or 116%
of the Daily Value. For a superb vitamin C kick, grab a guava. One guava
contains 165 milligrams of vitamin C, or 275% of the Daily Value.
Honey
If you saw a jar of honey in a doctor’s black bag, you’d just assume that he packed
in the dark. But as it turns out, doctors have been using honey for centuries.
“Up until World War II, honey was used commonly to treat skin wounds”, says
Dr. Molan. With the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940’s, honey was taken
out of doctor’s bags and returned to the kitchen. But today, doctors are trying to
bring it back into circulation as a medicine. “We’re finding that doctors are starting
to use honey where modern medicine have been tried – and have failed – to cure
sskin wounds.” according to Dr. Molan.
Honey contains three ingredients that make it ideal for treating wounds.
Because it’s high in sugar, it absorbs much of the moisture inside wounds, making
it hard for bacteria to survive, Dr. Molan explains. In addition, many honey varieties
contain large amounts of hydrogen peroxide, the same medicine you can use at home
to disinfect cuts and scrapes. Finally, some honeys contain propolis, a compound in
nectar that can kill bacteria.
Zinc
Many people don’t get enough zinc,a mineral that helps grow tissues and repair
themselves. In fact, slow wound healing is often s sign that you’re not getting enough
of this important mineral.
The Daily Value for zinc is 15 milligrams. This doesn’t sound a lot, but getting
enough zinc can be tricky, since only 20% of the zinc in foods is absorbed during
digestion. However, eating zinc-rich foods along with protein from animal foods
will help the absorption of zinc.
An excellent source of zinc are oysters, with 1/2 cup providing 8 milligram, or 54%
of the DV. Wheat germ is also good, with 1 2/3 tablespoon containing about
2 milligram, or 13% of the DV.
Water keeps your skin hydrated, which is important while helping to heal burns.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses per day.
Focus on omega-3 fatty acids.Fat helps your body tto build new cells, and they
become part of every cell membrane. Choose oily fish, walnuts and flaxseed.
Get a full range of vitamins and minerals. If your diet is not always up to par
(and nobody is perfect), consider taking a multivitamin, preferably one from USANA,
as an insurance policy against a shortfall of essential vitamins and minerals,
Dr.Gottschlich suggests.These include B vitamins, which help your body use
energy from carbohydrates to rebuild tissue; vitamin K, which helps blood clot;
and vitamin A, which help collagen from supportive nets and skin cells reproduce.