Have you ever unintentionally broken a bone? Realizing you have broken a bone is arguably one of the worst feelings ever. Depending on the severity of the break, it frequently takes weeks or even months to heal. Contrary to popular belief, there is a better method for encouraging bone healing than simply resting and hoping for the best.
You can hasten the healing of broken bones by altering your diet and increasing your intake of macro- and micronutrients. In this article, we’ll examine the macronutrients and micronutrients in your diet that can hasten the healing of broken bones.
What Do Macronutrients Do?
Do you understand what a macronutrient is? Not to worry, we’ll explain what macronutrients are and how they aid in bone healing. Additionally, we’ll discuss some of the foods high in macronutrients that you should eat if you have broken a bone.
Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are considered to be macronutrients. Your body uses the most amounts of nutrients called macronutrients. You shouldn’t cut out or restrict your body’s macronutrients if you want to eat a healthy diet.
Some of the foods that are good sources of macronutrients (proteins) are briefly listed below. Your broken bone will heal more quickly if you consume these foods, which support bone health. Chicken, turkey, sirloin, salmon, tuna, milk, cheese, nuts, soy, yogurt, and beans are some examples of acceptable foods.
You must consume macronutrients in order for your body to produce energy, so they are essential nutritional components. If you want your broken bone to heal faster, you must consume specific macronutrients. Let’s examine one of the most significant macronutrients for bone health.
Which Macronutrient Foods Help Broken Bones?
You now have a better understanding of macronutrients, so let’s look at micronutrients. First off, your body needs fewer micronutrients overall than it does macronutrients. They remain one of the most important nutritional groups your body requires despite this.
Minerals and vitamins are examples of micronutrients. Vitamins and minerals are important for energy production, immune function, and bone health.
It is important to make sure your diet includes foods that are high in micronutrients for this reason. Because micronutrients are inedible by the body, depriving yourself of them will delay the healing of your broken bone. In case you have a broken bone, let’s take a closer look at some of the micronutrients you should include in your diet.
Protein
You probably didn’t realize that protein makes up about half of the composition of your bones. Your body requires protein to rebuild a broken bone. Additionally, protein aids in the absorption and utilization of calcium, a vital micronutrient that will be covered shortly.
If you don’t consume protein-rich foods after breaking a bone, the healing process will be slowed. This is because it has been established that a protein deficiency slows bone healing. For the best bone health, it is advised that you eat 0.035 to 0.053 ounces of protein per pound. Let’s examine a concrete illustration. 2.4 to 3.5 ounces of protein are required per day for a person weighing 150 pounds.
Calcium
Calcium-Rich-Foods-world-crutches
Foods and beverages high in calcium can aid in the healing of a broken bone because calcium is a mineral that your body needs to develop strong bones. One of the key micronutrients for bone formation is largely thought to be this mineral. So you should keep taking the prescribed dosage even after your bone has healed.
But what is this dosage? Dieticians and doctors agree that the average daily calcium intake for adults should be between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams. If you need more calcium, your doctor will tell you how much more.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is yet another essential vitamin that you must consume. This vitamin aids the uptake and utilization of calcium in your blood. Other minerals are also helped to accumulate in your bones by it. Any broken bones will heal more quickly and properly as a result.
You can obtain vitamin D from sunlight in addition to eating a variety of foods that are high in it. To make sure you get enough, it is advised that you spend about 15 minutes outside each day. According to recommendations, adults require at least 600 IU of vitamin D daily, and those over 80 require at least 800 IU.
Potassium
Few people are aware of the importance of potassium in the diet. You won’t lose as much calcium through urination if you consume the recommended amount of potassium. Thus, you have more calcium available to aid in the healing of your bones.
Fortunately, potassium is present in many fruits and vegetables, making it simple to consume the recommended daily intake. If you’re an adult, try to aim for 3,500–4,700 mg of potassium daily.
Vitamin C
Vitamin-C-food-world-crutches
Your body requires vitamin C, which is also very important, to speed up the healing of broken bones. Collagen production in your body is assisted by vitamin C. Your bones must have collagen if they are to heal.
The average adult is thought to require 65 to 90 mg of vitamin C daily, usually no more than 2,000 mg. Avoid heated or aged foods that contain vitamin C when making your food selections. This is due to the possibility that some of the nutrients in these foods have been lost.
As we did with the macronutrient (protein), we will examine the foods you should eat to obtain the micronutrients you require to encourage quicker bone healing.
Calcium-rich foods include milk, yogurt, almond milk, cottage cheese, white sesame seeds, bok choy, broccoli, kale, and fortified cereals.
fatty fish, egg yolks, some types of milk, certain orange juices, and egg yolks all contain vitamin D.
Avocados, salmon, potatoes, yams, nuts, and seeds are all sources of potassium.
foods high in vitamin C include tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, oranges, berries, and kiwis.
How Do Macronutrients and Micronutrients Help Promote Bone Healing?
How quickly or slowly a bone heals can be significantly influenced by the food you eat on a daily basis. It will take longer for your bone to heal if you don’t consume macro- or micronutrients that support bone health. In the end, a person’s ability to grow, stay healthy, and have strength in their bones is greatly influenced by their diet.
Every stage of the bone-healing process necessitates increased nutritional requirements, too. Your dietary intake is crucial for this reason. If you don’t consume the recommended amounts of the right micro and macronutrients, you won’t reap the benefits.
There are other steps you can take to speed the healing of your broken bone in addition to making sure your diet is adequate in both macro and micronutrients. We have briefly discussed the other things you can do below.
Drink More Water
Did you know that 31% of the weight of healthy bones is made up of water? Your bones’ ability to perform the tasks required for your body to operate properly depends on how much water you consume.
For example, water distributes calcium and other minerals throughout your body and to your bones. You might still be losing out on quicker bone healing if you don’t drink enough water to get the nutrients to your bones.
Eat Light Meals
Your body will experience stress from eating large, unhealthy meals in a variety of ways. For instance, as you gain weight, eating large meals puts more strain on your bones and organs. As a result, when attempting to encourage bone healing, it is a great idea to consume small meals throughout the day.
Have a Balanced Diet
You should make an effort to eat a balanced diet in addition to smaller meals. In addition to the nutrients we discussed, you should consume all the foods that your doctor has prescribed for you. If you want to heal a broken bone more quickly, a properly balanced diet is essential. Therefore, you must make sure that you consume the proper amounts of carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
The vitamins and minerals you require are typically found in foods. However, if this isn’t the case, you should consult a doctor before starting dietary supplements.
Bell Peppers
Vitamin C, which is essential for the formation of collagen and is crucial for bone regeneration, is abundant in sweet bell peppers, especially the red ones, according to Moore. Collagen is necessary for bone regeneration. Unbelievably, a ½ cup of bell peppers contains more vitamin C than an orange. You can try adding the peppers to a stir-fry or omelet, or cut them into strips and dip them in hummus. You should seek assistance from Karachi’s top orthopedic surgeon if you feel like even these measures are failing to strengthen your bones.
Black Beans
Find a reason to eat black beans if you want your bones to be stronger. They are yet another excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that is essential for hastening the healing of the skeleton. They can be included in a burrito, taco salad, or a sizable pot of chili.
Grapes
This fruit is sweet and juicy and is rich in vitamin K. According to Moore, a ¾ cup actually provides 25% of your daily value. Use them as a salad, yogurt, or oatmeal topping, eat them plain, or freeze them for an icy treat.
Parsley
According to Moore, this herb serves as a fantastic source of vitamin K and is useful for more than just garnishing. To get more of it, make a pesto with it and serve it with the above-mentioned fish or vegetables for an added boost.
Kale
Vitamin K, which aids calcium binding activity in bone formation, is present in good amounts in kale.
Fatty Fish
Only when combined with vitamin D does calcium work effectively. Vitamin D is abundant in fatty fish like tuna. Vitamin D is just as crucial to bone healing as calcium, which is a key nutrient. Vitamin D is crucial for bone growth and structure and helps to maintain stable blood calcium levels.
Physical Therapy to Heal Broken Bones Faster
To assist you in getting back on your feet, your doctor will probably recommend a treatment plan. That strategy frequently entails physical therapy.
A skilled physical therapist will know how to get you moving without endangering additional injuries. They have a specialty in treating soft tissue near fracture sites. This speeds up the bone’s recovery by bringing new blood and oxygen to it.
Physical therapy helps people gain strength after the initial period of restricted mobility that frequently follows a fracture. You and your therapist collaborate on exercises to build the muscles around the fracture site. They’ll also work to increase your range of motion and strengthen the nearby joints.
Through the improvement of your strength, flexibility, and balance, this type of physical therapy helps broken bones heal more quickly and helps prevent future broken bones.
Speak with your doctor about a physical therapy treatment plan if you recently had bad luck with broken bones. Our qualified therapists at St. William’s are here to support you as you heal. For more details, contact us right away!
What Foods Should You Avoid?
Avoiding certain foods and beverages.
It will help your broken bone heal faster. We have briefly discussed these foods here so that you will know what to avoid.
Avoid eating salty foods.
If you enjoy them and if you’re trying to heal a broken bone. It is possible to lose calcium through urine if you consume too many salty foods. As you work to heal your broken bone, aim for one teaspoon of salt.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol may be one of the worst things you can do if you want to heal a broken bone. The growth of bones is slowed by alcohol consumption. Your bone fracture will heal more slowly the more alcohol you consume.
Caffeine
Although it doesn’t significantly slow down bone healing, drinking too much coffee can hinder it. It’s best to limit your daily coffee intake to no more than four cups. This is due to the possibility that each time you use the restroom, you may lose more calcium than is necessary.
Conclusion
Essentially, you must make sure that your diet contains the proper amounts of macronutrients and micronutrients. You can encourage sound bone growth and repair in this way. A broken bone will take longer to heal if you don’t eat well, which can be uncomfortable.
You ought to consume the macronutrients and micronutrients we discussed. But keep in mind that you should consult a doctor and possibly a dietician to determine the proper dosages and meals you should consume.
FAQS
Does Coffee Affect Bone Healing?
When compared to the non-caffeinated group at 8 days post-operative, the caffeine group showed a significantly lower area of new bone formation (p 0.001).
Is Chocolate Good for Bone Healing?
The presence of substances known as flavonoids in chocolate is one of its benefits. These have a reputation for improving bone health.
Which Bone Takes the Shortest to Heal?
Broken Finger: 3-4 weeks
The good news is that because they are so small, these bones heal the most quickly. If there are no additional complications, it might take up to 3–4 weeks. You might feel some pain and swelling, which medication can relieve.
Can a Bone Heal in 2 Weeks?
Typically, it takes young children four weeks to fully recover from small broken bones with straightforward fractures. Small bones, like the finger or wrist bone, take about six weeks to heal in teenagers and adults.
What Would Cause a Broken Bone Not to Heal?
When a doctor stabilizes broken bones, the majority of them heal normally. A fracture that doesn’t heal, however, could result from insufficient blood flow to the bone. Blood vessels supply the chemical compounds known as growth factors, which promote healing, and oxygen to the bone.
