Wound Healing Supplements
Diet vs. Wound Care — Supplemental Assistance
Stepping away from macronutrients, I thought it would also be important to look at some of the micronutrients that can be supplemented to aid and enhance the wound healing diet. “Among amino acids, those that play an important role in wound healing, are arginine and glutamine. The first is a precursor of nitric oxide and proline, which in turn are essential for the inflammatory process and synthesis of collagen. Arginine also stimulates the production and secretion of growth hormone, as well as the activation of T cells” (Barchitta, Maugeri, Favara, San Lio, Evola, Agodi, & Basile, 2019). Glutamine protects against the risk of infectious and inflammatory complications by upregulating the expression of heat shock proteins (Barchitta et al., 2019). Glutamine is also involved in the inflammatory phase of wound healing by regulating leukocyte apoptosis, superoxide production, antigen processing, and phagocytosis (Barchitta et al., 2019).
“Vitamins are undoubtedly the most investigated micronutrients in the wound healing process. Vitamin A deficiency impairs B cell and T cell function and antibody production during the inflammatory phase. It also decreases epithelialization, collagen synthesis, and granulation tissue development in the proliferative and remodeling phases. In addition, vitamin A seems to work as a hormone that modulates the activity of epithelial and endothelial cells, melanocytes, and fibroblasts by binding to retinoic acid receptors. In general, vitamin A is topically administered for the care of dermatologic conditions due to its stimulating properties of fibroplasia and epithelialization” (Barchitta et al., 2019).
B vitamins are essential cofactors in enzyme reactions involved in leukocyte formation and in anabolic processes of wound healing (Barchitta et al., 2019). Vitamin B deficiencies indirectly affect the wound healing process by impairing antibody production and white blood cell function, which in turn increase the risk of infectious complications (Barchitta et al., 2019). Vitamin C seems to be involved in wound healing with several roles in cell migration and transformation, collagen synthesis, antioxidant response, and angiogenesis (Barchitta et al., 2019). Vitamin D helps to modulate structural integrity and transport across epithelial barriers; in line with its roles, recent evidence of vitamin D deficiency among venous and pressure ulcer patients has suggested the potential involvement of vitamin D in the wound healing process (Barchitta et al., 2019).
Among minerals essential to wound healing, zinc is particularly notable, as it is vital for DNA replication in cells with high cell division rates, such as inflammatory and epithelial cells, and fibroblasts. In the inflammatory phase, zinc promotes immune response and counteracts susceptibility to infectious complications by activating lymphocytes and producing antibodies (Barchitta et al., 2019).
Another supplement that has gained recent attention for its anti-inflammatory properties is turmeric. Of the curcuminoids extracted from the plant, curcumin, has shown tremendous benefits in the process of wound healing. It has been shown to modulate physiological and molecular events involved the inflammatory and proliferative phases of healing.
In regards to the inflammatory phase, several studies have revealed the protective effect of curcumin that reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Barchitta et al., 2019). In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin also acts as an antioxidant by scavenging reactive oxygen species, by restoring abnormal changes induced by external factors, and by suppressing transcription factors related to oxidation (Barchitta et al., 2019). Curcumin also plays a critical role during the proliferative phase. Interestingly, it was observed that curcumin ameliorates the above-mentioned process, resulting in an increase of hydroxyproline and collagen synthesis (Barchitta et al., 2019). Treatment with curcumin also promotes the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts which marks the beginning of wound contraction (Barchitta et al., 2019). Based on its proven efficacy, curcumin should be considered as an effective wound healing agent.
References:
Barchitta, Martina, et al. “Nutrition and Wound Healing: An Overview Focusing on the Beneficial Effects of Curcumin.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 20, no. 5, 2019, p. 1119., doi:10.3390/ijms20051119.
