Many foods, including fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and protein sources, help to reduce inflammation, improve immune function, promote healing, and provide the fuel necessary to get on the mend.
Whether you’re recovering from an illness or surgery, the foods and beverages you consume can either help or hinder your recovery. Thus, it is important to eat good food to allow the body to heal quickly and recover fully at a faster rate.
Below is a list of 7 foods that will help your body heal and recover fully-
1. Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, arugula, mustard greens, and Swiss chard contain nutrients that decrease inflammation, enhance immune function, and improve wound healing, hence are the perfect choice to promote recovery.
Leafy greens are a rich source of vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, folate, and provitamin A, all of which are essential and good for immune function and overall health. Vitamin C is essential for wound healing, making leafy greens a good choice when recuperating after surgery. They’re also rich in polyphenol antioxidants that have powerful anti-inflammatory and immune-supportive properties.
2. Eggs
Your body needs significantly more protein than the current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) after surgery since eggs are not only an excellent source of highly absorbable protein, but also are rich in nutrients that support immune health and wound healing.
Whole eggs contain vitamins A and B12, as well as zinc, iron, and selenium, all of which play vital immune roles.
3. Berries
Berries are a rich source of nutrients and plant compounds that can help support your body’s recovery.
Berries provide ample vitamin C, which promotes wound healing by stimulating the production of collagen.
They also contain antioxidants like anthocyanins, which are plant pigments that provide anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immune-supporting effects apart from giving berries their vibrant color.
4. Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds like almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds are great choices for fueling your body during the recovery process. These foods are rich sources of plant-based protein, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals that support healing.
Nuts and seeds are a good source of Vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant in your body, protecting against cellular damage. It’s also critical for immune health and healthy vitamin E levels may help improve the function of protective immune cells, such as natural killer cells, which help fight infection and disease.
5. Poultry
Specific amino acids, which contain protein, play important roles in wound healing and immune function.
Poultry, including chicken and turkey, are rich in glutamine and arginine, two amino acids that may aid recovery and healing.
Glutamine helps provide cellular protection during times of stress, such as illness and injury, while arginine assists collagen production and wound healing.
6. Organ meats
Organ meats are some of the most nutritious foods that boast many immune-supportive nutrients, including vitamin A, iron, zinc, B vitamins, and copper, which are needed for the production of connective tissue and collagen. Vitamin A, in organ meats which is essential for proper immune cell response, helps inhibit inflammatory cells and is critical for skin health and wound healing. Organ meats are also an excellent source of protein, which is necessary for recovery after surgery and illness.
7. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in carbs and hence are important for recovery. Carbs not only provide the energy your cells require for healing but also enzymes like hexokinase and citrate synthase, which aid wound repair.
Sweet potatoes are nutritious carb sources that are packed with anti-inflammatory plant compounds, vitamins, and minerals — including vitamin C, carotenoids, and manganese — that may optimize immune response and help your body recover.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)