The road to recovery after an injury is a tough one. You may easily endure injuries like minor fractures and muscle tears, but for serious ones like an Anterior Cruciate Ligament or ACL, the process is far longer and much more challenging.
There’s no magical cure or state-of-the-art technology to significantly accelerate recovery, but there are certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that can help to make it a bit faster.
Calcium
Calcium takes up roughly 99% of the body’s total mineral content. It’s known to play a key role in healing injuries like broken bones. On top of that, it assists in helping the brain to signal nerves and contract muscles properly. Should you incur a fracture, calcium can help you heal faster, and even make your bones much stronger.
However, it should be noted that calcium should be taken in moderation. Very Well Health underscores that taking excessive doses will not help you heal faster. Make sure that you are consuming the recommended dose, and if it all possible take more natural calcium, like those found in foods like milk, yogurt, broccoli, soy, and fortified cereals or juice.
Collagen
For repairing tendons and ligaments, collagen happens to be the most researched and recommended supplement simply because it’s a protein that’s an important building block for bones. Pretty Me’s review of frozen collagen products highlights how aside from reducing pain and speeding up the resynthesizing of tendons and soft tissue, the ingredient also has the capacity to eliminate free radicals in the body. It even has skin health benefits, like slowing down the signs of aging and reducing fine lines. Not only will it aid in your recovery, but it improves your skin and hair, too.
The good news is collagen isn’t hard to find. While you can always get your dose from readily available supplements, you can also get collagen from foods like fish, chicken, egg whites, citrus fruits, berries, garlic, and white tea. So long as you consume these on a regular basis, you can enjoy healthy joints and a clearer complexion.
Vitamin K
Doctors have long used vitamin K to help patients heal incisions after surgery and prevent bleeding issues in newborns, thanks to its blood clotting abilities. Research curated by Reader’s Digest also notes that the vitamin contributes to building strong bones, and may even be useful for fighting against the threat of osteoporosis, especially in older women.
A synthetic form of vitamin K1 called phytomenadione is present in many supplements, but it’s also found in many foods, typically in leafy green vegetables like cabbage and spinach. It’s also present in liver, cows’ milk, egg yolk, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, lean meats, and cereals. The rest comes from bacteria that live naturally in the gut and produce menaquinones, or vitamin K2.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is one of those nutrients that are popular in the wellness space because of its capacity to naturally reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but athletes are increasingly using it for pain relief and treating bone injuries. A molecule found in skin tissue, bones, tendons, and the synovial fluid around joints, its primary function is to lubricate the joints and cushion bones as a way of preventing wear, tear, and degeneration.
These days, hyaluronic acid injections are the preferred method for taking it, but you can also get it from certain food sources, including root vegetables, soy-based foods, citrus fruits, bone broth, and animal skin.