While there are no guarantees in healing, some fruits and vegetables can help speed up the process. The following foods have been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect. This means that they help reduce swelling, redness and pain caused by an injury or infection.
1. Watermelon
Watermelon is a good source of lycopene, which is an antioxidant linked with lower rates of certain cancers. It also contains vitamins A and C, which help promote wound healing. The fruit’s high water content makes it hydrating as well.
2. Strawberries
Strawberries are one of the best fruits for fast healing because they contain manganese, vitamins A and C, B6, potassium and magnesium — all of which help reduce inflammation in your body and maintain healthy skin tissue. They’re also low in calories and high in fiber so they’ll fill you up without weighing down your digestive system while you heal.
3. Oranges
Oranges are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps with collagen production that keeps our skin looking young and healthy (and strong). Vitamin C is also necessary for producing interferon — a protein that stimulates immune function — so it’s important for fighting off any infection
Foods to avoid during wound healing
Fruits and vegetables that speed up the healing of wounds include:
Asparagus: Asparagus contains asparagine, a compound that helps wounds heal faster. It also reduces inflammation and prevents scarring.
Cabbage: Cabbage can help with blood coagulation, which means it will help stop bleeding quickly. It also promotes the formation of new skin cells, which speeds up the healing process.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties that help prevent infection in open wounds.
Garlic: Garlic contains allicin, an antibacterial compound that helps prevent infection and stimulates the immune system. It also contains selenium and sulfur compounds that boost immunity and fight infection.
Onions: Onions contain allyl propyl disulfide (APDS), a compound that helps reduce inflammation in open wounds by blocking histamine release and inhibiting mast cell degranulation. They also contain quercetin, an antioxidant flavonol that protects against free radicals that damage cells in the body.
It’s a good idea to watch your diet when you have a wound, because what you eat affects how fast it heals.
Foods to avoid during wound healing
Avoid these foods if you have a wound:
Processed meats. These include hot dogs, sausage, corned beef and other cured meats. They’re high in sodium and preservatives that can irritate wounds.
Caffeine. A cup of coffee or tea may make you feel alert, but studies show it delays healing time by up to 3 hours.
Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine and hard liquor). Alcohol deprives your body of vital nutrients that help promote healing. It also increases the risk of infection and slows blood flow to the wound site — both are bad news for healing.
High-fat foods. Fried foods and fatty meats can cause inflammation in your body. Inflammation interferes with the healing process because it causes redness and swelling around the affected area — two things you want to avoid while treating your wound!
You can eat your way to faster wound healing. Here’s what you should eat, and what you should avoid.
Fruits for fast healing of wounds:
Berries are rich in antioxidants, which help protect against inflammation and infection. Blueberries are also high in vitamin C, which helps heal wounds more quickly. Strawberries contain ellagic acid, which helps prevent scarring.
Vegetables for fast healing of wounds:
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage) contain glucosinolates that may help decrease inflammation and promote healing. Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help improve blood circulation to the area of the wound. Garlic contains allicin, which has antibacterial properties that can help prevent infection.
Legumes for fast healing of wounds:
Beans such as lentils and chickpeas are great sources of protein as well as iron and zinc, which help maintain healthy immune systems and aid wound healing by boosting cell production. Beans also contain folate (folic acid), which helps produce new cells for wound repair.
During wound healing, the body takes time to repair the damage and regenerate new skin cells. Foods that you eat can help this process along.
1. Avoid foods that are high in sugar and fat.
These types of foods can slow down the healing process by increasing inflammation, which is what makes you feel pain.
2. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help protect against infection and promote healing of wounds.
3. Eat lean meat instead of red meat or processed meat like bacon or sausage because lean meat has less saturated fat than red meat or processed meat does (which means it’s healthier for your heart!). Red meat and processed meat have been linked to higher risks for heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
4. Drink green tea every day because it contains powerful antioxidants called catechins which will help prevent infections from developing on your wound site as well as help protect you from sun damage if you’re out in the sun more than usual due to an injury or surgery on a part of your body where you normally don’t get sunburned easily (like your face).
Wounds can be caused by a variety of reasons. The most common cause is injury. Other causes include surgery, insect bites, infection and disease. Wounds are classified as either open or closed. An open wound is one that has been torn or cut through the skin’s surface. A closed wound results from damage to the skin and underlying tissues, but the skin remains intact.
Wound healing can be divided into three phases: inflammatory, proliferative and remodeling phases. The inflammatory phase is characterized by vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), hemorrhage (bleeding) and exudation (flowing out) of fluid through the wound site. In this phase, tissue damage occurs due to oxygen deprivation, reduced blood flow and tissue loss. In the proliferative phase, which follows the inflammatory phase, new collagen fibers start to form which help strengthen the damaged skin tissue by filling in gaps between cells while also providing support for new cell growth. Lastly comes the remodeling phase where collagen fibers continue to form until they replace old ones with new ones that give strength to your skin again!