Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients aside from keeping the internal processes of the body healthy, strong and functioning well also helps to promote the healing of the wounds both on the external and inner surfaces of the body. The rate at which wounds heal and the quality of the repair tissues depends greatly upon adequate nutrition. There are several vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that affect this healing process.
Vitamin K is essential to the very first step of healing a wound – stopping the bleeding via the clotting of the blood. Without Vitamin K healing would not proceed as the blood would not clot therefore there’ll be an excessive flow of blood from the wound which is clearly not healthy. Vitamin K partners with the mineral calcium in the production of the body’s primary clotting agent the thrombin.
One of the most important vitamins involved in the healing of the wounds is Vitamin C. It is particularly helpful in the growth and development of new tissues in part because it also supports the health and function of the body’s many tiny capillaries that are responsible for taking oxygen and nutrients to the far reaches of the body. Another contributing factor to its importance lies in the growth and development of new tissues for wound healing as well as for the maintenance of existing tissues it has to do its role in collagen production. Collagen is what makes the scar that holds a wound together and makes up the connective tissues of the body. Collagen supports the structure of the skin. Vitamin C however is essential to the production of collagen which simply means that Vitamin C has a great part in literally holding the human body together.
Zinc is another mineral important to wound healing. There are more than 300 enzymes in the body that require zinc to help them in performing their tasks. Many of these enzymes relate directly to the healing of wounds such as the production of collagen. Zinc plays a role in the body being able to make use of certain proteins and in cell division. However, it should be noted that too much zinc can interfere with the healing of wounds. That is because the body operates on a chemical system that has a delicate balance which cannot be tampered with and too much zinc interferes with how the body uses copper and other substances thus throwing off the balance that is necessary for the best wound healing.
Copper another mineral is also significant to the process of healing wounds. Copper has many roles in the body including being a component of numerous enzymes. In terms of healing one of its most important roles is in the formation of collagen which is essential to the wound healing process.
The vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that we consume daily are what support all of the processes of the body and the mind. The healing of wounds is essential to the body and proper nutrition is what allows the process of wound healing to operate at its peak performance which simply means that wounds heal as well and as quickly as they should. Dietary supplements are an affordable, safe and convenient way to make sure that your body is able to support the healing process. Have a prescription be made out to you by your family physician or a licensed dietician for you to be able to know which kind of dietary supplement will work best for you.
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By: Charlene Nuble
Posts Tagged ‘Mineral Calcium’
Vitamins for Natural Healing of the Wounds
April 10th, 2010Vitamin K – Benefits, Deficiency and Food Sources
September 30th, 2009Vitamin K is needed for proper bone formation and blood clotting. In both cases, vitamin K does this by helping the body transport calcium. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin K is best known for its role in helping blood clot properly, and in preventing excessive bleeding. It also plays an important role in bone health. There are two naturally occurring forms of vitamin K. Plants synthesize phylloquinone, also known as vitamin K1. Bacteria synthesize a range of vitamin K forms, using repeating 5-carbon units in the side chain of the molecule. Vitamin K is used by doctors when treating an overdose of the drug warfarin. Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting, and studies have shown it to maintain strong bones in the elderly.
Vitamin K is most commonly found in green leaf-like food like spinach, green tea, cabbage, turnip greens, and brussels sprouts. Certain medicines may interact with vitamin K. Those patients who applied the Vitamin K after the procedure noticed a significant reduction in the severity of bruising. Individuals with vitamin K deficiency are usually more likely to have bruising and bleeding. Dermatologists have recently found Vitamin K to be successful on the treatment of dark circles under the eyes and bruising on the face. An examination of the under-eye colour at the beginning of the study and at the end found a significant lightening in the group using the vitamin K and retinol combination.
Benefits of vitamin K to us:-
1. Vitamin K helps the body absorb the beneficial mineral calcium.
2. Vitamin K also prevents the hardening of the arteries, which aids in preventing heart disease and heart failure.
3. Vitamin K can help prevent or treat osteoporosis and the loss of bone density.
4. Vitamin K also has preventive and treatment benefits for cancer.
5. Vitamin K plays a role that prevents this accumulation of calcium and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Deficiency Symptoms of vitamin K:
1. Unusual bleeding, such as from the gums, nose, or gastrointestinal tract.
2. Nosebleeds.
3. Unexplained bruising.
4. Eye hemorrhages.
Food sources of vitamin K:
1. Cereals.
2. Soya beans.
3. Wheat bran.
4. Cauliflower.
5. Broccoli and Cabbage.
6. Bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract.
By: Juliet Cohen
