Can Supplements Help with Bed Sores Healing?

 

During recovery from an injury or surgery, you should expect a lot of downtime. Your body needs time to heal and the best way for it to do that is to rest. While resting you might expect a lot of days and nights spent in bed watching your favorite shows. You might even expect a bit of boredom. 

 

What you most likely aren’t expecting are bed sores. Bed sores can be painful and difficult to heal. What exactly are they and how might supplements heal them faster? 

What Are Bed Sores?

Bed sores can occur when you are immobile or inactive for long periods of time. They can appear anywhere on your body that is touching the bed or surface below you. Bed sores are small wounds or ulcers that are caused by inadequate blood supply to your skin. 

 

When you lay on your side, for example, you are placing pressure on the skin between you and the bed or surface. If you lay on your side for too long, too much pressure is applied to the skin resulting in a bed sore. When bed sores aren’t treated properly, they can become painful and possibly infected. 

How Do You Treat Bed Sores?

The best way to treat bed sores is to prevent them. You can prevent bed sores by making a point to move as much as possible. If you’re bedridden, switch your lying position every 30-minutes to an hour. If you are immobile, ask a family member or caretaker to help you switch positions. Rotating where you place pressure on your skin will reduce your risk for bed sores. 

 

Another tip for preventing bed sores is to maintain your skin’s lubrication. Dry, crackling skin is more likely to tear and cause painful wounds or sores. Keep your skin lubricated by applying lotions and creams to it often. If you do have an open bed sore, make sure to keep it clean with a saline solution. Then, apply petroleum jelly to the wound site and cover with a clean gauze bandage. 

 

Lastly, you reduce your risk of bed sores and heal them faster by tracking your nutrition. Certain nutrients have been scientifically shown to help wounds heal faster. Consuming more of these in your diet or through dietary supplements may help relieve painful bed sores faster. 

 

What Nutrients Help Treat Bed Sores?

Vitamin C

Vitamin C isn’t just for fighting colds. The essential vitamin found in plant foods like citrus fruits is a powerful antioxidant. It helps strengthen the immune system to better fight off infection at the wound site of bed sores and is necessary for collagen production. 

 

Collagen is a protein used by your body to create skin tissue. During the wound healing process, you need enough collagen to create and repair damaged skin tissue. Getting enough vitamin C is crucial for ensuring you are producing adequate amounts of collagen. 

L-Glutamine

L-glutamine is an amino acid that plays a big role in fighting off infection so your bed sores can heal more quickly. It’s also necessary for your cells to divide and increase your number of skin cells to repair open bed sores. 

Zinc

Zinc is a vital mineral needed for the functioning of many bodily processes, such as metabolism and immune system health. An increase in zinc intake is linked to faster recovery times for burn injuries and wounds. Zinc may help repair bed sores faster by increasing collagen production and fighting off infection. 

Selenium

Selenium is known for its benefits in skin health such as reducing inflammation and even preventing cancer. Selenium is an antioxidant that may help reduce recovery time in burn patients. These benefits may extend to healing other wounds such as bed sores. 

Healing Bed Sores- The Takeaway

Bed sores are unsightly and often painful. Preventative measures can be taken to reduce your risk of developing bed sores, but they are sometimes inevitable. If you are dealing with painful bed sores, healing them should be your priority. Topical creams and solutions can be used to treat bed sores, but nutrition plays an important role as well. 

 

An all-in-one dietary supplement like WoundVite can be a helpful solution to ensure you get the nutrients necessary to expedite bed sore healing. WoundVite contains 21 vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements chosen for their effectiveness in healing wounds. Taking a multivitamin dietary supplement like WoundVite co-formulated by Devan Patel along with a healthy balanced diet may help make your bed sore recovery a much smoother process. 

Is a Pre-Surgery Diet Helpful for Recovery?

 

Preparing for surgery? You might want to consider revamping your diet. Diet plays a major role in your overall health, including wound recovery from surgery. If your diet is lacking key nutrients, you might be setting yourself up for a slower recovery. 

 

Read below to learn how diet can affect wound healing and how key nutrients can help you recover from your surgery faster.

 

The Stages of Wound Healing

 

Wound healing has 3 phases. The first is blood clotting. When your body detects an injury, your cells immediately respond by forming a blood clot to stop the bleeding. 

 

The second phase is inflammation. Inflammation occurs around the wound site to clear any bacteria or debris, remove damaged tissue cells, and stimulate new tissue growth. Inflammation at the wound site looks like swelling and redness that can sometimes be painful or itchy. 

 

The third phase of wound healing is scarring. During this phase, your cells work to build new tissue over the injury. A scab or scar will form to protect the area while the rebuilding is in process. Once your wound is fully healed, the scab tissue will fall away. 

What Nutrients Aid in the Wound Healing Process?

Your body uses the nutrients from the foods you eat as energy for completing all bodily processes. The nutrients most effective for wound healing are as follows:

 

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning you can’t survive without it. Vitamin C is best known for improving the immune system and as an ingredient in skincare to brighten dull skin. 

 

Vitamin C aids in every phase of the wound healing process, but particularly during scar formation. The essential vitamin is necessary for collagen synthesis, which scar formation is dependent on. Without scar formation, your wound can’t close or heal properly. 

 

Zinc: Zinc is another nutrient known best for its benefits for your immune system. The powerful mineral helps strengthen the immune system, helping your body fight off infection at the wound site. It also aids in relieving chronic inflammation associated with infection or injury. 

 

Vitamin A: Vitamin A, also known as beta-carotene, is necessary for tissue repair at the wound site. The fat-soluble vitamin activates the tissue repair process by releasing skin cells to repair your wound. 

 

Turmeric: Turmeric is an East Asian spice with a bright yellow-orange hue. Turmeric contains the powerful compound curcumin, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 

 

Turmeric assists in the rebuilding and repairing process of skin tissue repair by stimulating growth factors. It can also help ease chronic inflammation. 

 

Bromelain: Bromelain is an enzyme that comes from the stem of pineapples. Some studies have shown that bromelain can decrease wound recovery time, reduce inflammation and swelling, and help remove damaged skin cells from the wound site. However, more research is needed to understand bromelain’s full benefits on the healing process. 

 

If you are unable to get enough nutrients through your diet alone, dietary supplements can be greatly beneficial. Nutritional supplements are formulated to be more easily absorbed by your body. An all-in-one supplement like WoundVite co-formulated by Devan Patel can simplify your pre- and post-surgery dietary needs by providing key nutrients in two daily capsules. Dietary supplements may be especially important if you suffer gastrointestinal upset post-surgery and find it difficult to consume solid foods. 

What Other Nutrients Help Wound Recovery?

In addition to getting plenty of vitamins and minerals, you should also aim to eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The recovery process is taxing on your whole body and requires a lot of energy. 

 

Ensuring you are getting adequate calorie and nutrient intake will make your recovery a much smoother process. Protein is especially important during your recovery downtime because it maintains muscle tissue. During periods of inactivity, muscle tissue breaks down. Consuming more protein will help reduce muscle breakdown and help you maintain your muscle strength. 

 

Adequate hydration and fiber are also important in a wound recovery diet. Water and fiber help your body absorb the nutrients from your food. Unless you are properly absorbing nutrients, your body can’t use them as well to help you heal. Make sure to drink plenty of water and fill up on fiber-rich foods like whole grains. 

The Takeaway

Eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of key nutrients will make your surgery and post-surgery recovery process smoother. To speed up your recovery process, make sure you are consuming these key nutrients in adequate amounts. Dietary supplements like WoundVite can make getting these nutrients much easier, thus helping you decrease your recovery time. 

Supplements Are Gaining Popularity to Save Healthcare Costs

 

Each year, the US healthcare system spends billions of dollars treating patients with chronic diseases. Chronic disease in the US is rampant with approximately 44% of all Americans suffering from at least one chronic disease. These statistics could be attributed to modern Western diet and lifestyle which is linked to numerous diseases. But it may also be linked to the US’s lack of preventative care measures. 

 

In the US, 75% of the 2 trillion dollars spent on healthcare goes towards treating chronic disease. In contrast, just 3% is spent on preventative care. If the US wants to reduce costs spent on healthcare, we as a nation should aim to reduce our risk of disease. More money should be spent on preventative measures to reduce the number of people treated for chronic diseases each year. 

Nutritional Supplements for Preventative Health Care

To date, numerous studies have been done on the health benefits of natural dietary supplements. Supplements can be a safe and effective way to treat many health conditions and may help prevent or reverse certain diseases. Furthermore, natural supplements are less expensive than pharmaceutical drugs used to treat chronic diseases. They are also non-addictive and have generally few negative side effects. 

 

The use of dietary supplements for preventative care is just recently being considered as a way to cut healthcare spending while also improving the quality of life of those living with chronic disease. The Smart Prevention—Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements report from Frost and Sullivan contains data from hundreds of studies involving the use of dietary supplements for treating high risk individuals (adults over 55 years old) with certain chronic diseases. 

 

The results from the studies concluded that an aggressive supplement regimen can cut costs on healthcare spending by millions to billions of dollars each year. The studies included the use of certain supplement combinations to treat common chronic diseases (coronary heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and age-related eye disease) that afflict nearly half of Americans:

 

Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D: Calcium and magnesium can be found in foods like dairy, broccoli, nuts, and grains. Vitamin D is found in some fortified foods but is mainly absorbed by your skin from the sun. All 3 nutrients maintain bone health and strength. 

 

A supplement combo of these nutrients was used in patients with osteoporosis. The cost savings for this combination ranged from $1.08 billion per year for calcium with vitamin D and $530 million per year for magnesium. 

 

Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids found in plant foods that support your eye health, particularly the macula region. Taking these supplements can reduce risk of age-related eye diseases (such as macular degeneration and cataracts) by 23% and save $930 million per year in healthcare costs. 

 

Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, and Folate: B-vitamins play an important role in many functions of our body. They are found in foods such as meat, eggs, and dark leafy green vegetables. Vitamins B-6, B-12, and folate help reduce risk of heart related problems, like coronary heart disease, and can help cut healthcare costs by $560 million each year. 

 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) has been shown to reduce risk of coronary heart disease by providing numerous heart health benefits. Omega-3s are found most in fatty fish like mackerel, tuna, and swordfish. According to the report, Omega-3s can save the US healthcare system $930 million per year. 

 

Psyllium Dietary Fiber: Psyllium is a soluble fiber that comes from the plant, Plantago ovata. When given to patients with coronary heart disease, psyllium fiber can save the US 2.3 billion dollars by reducing risk of heart disease by 11.5%. 

 

Phytosterols: Phytosterols or, plant sterols, are found in plant foods and can help control blood cholesterol levels. Phytosterol use can cut coronary heart disease related costs by $3.3 billion dollars due to its ability to cut risk by 11.2%

 

Chromium Picolinate: Chromium picolinate is another form of chromium. Chromium picolinate may help the body process carbohydrates and fats and can stimulate weight loss. The supplement can save nearly $970 million each year for diabetes- attributed to coronary heart disease spending.  

Nutritional Supplements Have an Important Role in Healthcare

Based on the findings of the report, it’s hard to argue that nutritional supplements not only save money but may also save lives. When combined with other healthy lifestyle factors, the simple act of taking a multivitamin or dietary supplement each day may reduce your risk of life-threatening diseases. Why wait until you are sick to take care of your health? By taking preventative measures today, you improve your chances of living a more fulfilling, disease-free life. 

 

Natural supplements can play an important role in the health of our nation. They may be the key to helping reverse the effects of a nutrient deficient Western diet. When your body lacks vital nutrients, you are more at risk for developing an array of health conditions, including disease. With the entire healthcare system working together to encourage the use of regular supplement intake, we may become a much healthier society. 

 

To save more money and lives, doctors should more readily prescribe supplement regimens to their patients to treat and prevent illness. Large companies should offer employees incentives to take their vitamins or offer them as part of an employee wellness package. Finally, individuals should consider taking supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle. 

In Conclusion

Healthcare spending in the US is skyrocketing and it's mostly due to preventable diseases. The Western diet and lifestyle play a major role in the health of our nation yet dietary supplements can reduce some of the ill effects. Chronic disease is not only expensive but painful and life threatening. By incorporating nutritional supplements into a regimen for preventative care, we can save money and improve quality of life for those suffering with chronic disease. 

Do Supplements Really Save Healthcare Billions of Dollars?

 

The US is an unhealthy nation according to healthcare statistics that show nearly half of all Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease or illness. Many of these diseases and illnesses can be attributed to poor diet and lifestyle habits. We know from numerous studies that the Western diet coupled with inadequate exercise can lead to health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

 

More than 75% of US healthcare dollars are spent on treating patients with chronic illness. Chronic diseases take their toll on healthcare workforce needs and hospital capacity costing the US millions, sometimes billions of dollars each year. With the cost of healthcare so high, it’s surprising to learn that only 3% of US healthcare costs are spent on prevention. 

 

Nutritional supplements have been studied extensively for their role in preventing disease and supporting a healthy body. Nutritional supplements provide your body with key vitamins and minerals that are often lacking in Western diets. Some research has shown that nutrition supplements can prevent and, in some cases, reverse certain diseases. 

Can Supplements Save Healthcare Billions of Dollars?

With healthcare costs so high in the US, the healthcare industry is now finally looking to implement more preventative measures. Hundreds of studies aimed at determining the cost savings of supplements as preventative care conducted by Frost and Sullivan, summarized their findings in a report titled Smart Prevention—Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements. 

 

The report found that the net health care cost savings of implementing nutritional supplement use in high-risk patients (adults over the age of 55) totaled anywhere from millions to billions per year depending on the supplement and disease. The study focused on prevention for certain diseases using a combination of certain supplements. The disease and supplement combinations are as follows:

 

●      Coronary heart disease (CHD): omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins (B6, B12, and folic acid), phytosterols and psyllium dietary fiber.

●      Diabetes-attributed CHD: Chromium picolinate

●      Age related eye-disease (ARED), specifically macular degeneration and cataracts: Lutein and zeaxanthin

●      Osteoporosis: Calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium

 

The findings suggest that targeted dietary supplement use can help control health care costs for high-risk patients while improving their quality of life living with chronic illness. The Frost and Sullivan report is big news for the healthcare industry as well as individuals. Dietary nutritional supplements are non-prescriptive, natural, generally free of adverse side effects when taken as directed, non-addictive, and far less expensive than going to the hospital. If there is a chance that taking your vitamins can prevent you from chronic illness, it makes sense for your health and your wallet to begin a supplement regimen. This is especially true if you are in the high-risk category for disease, or 55 and older. 

How Do Supplements Work? 

We get most of our nutrients from what we eat. For example, B vitamins, omega-3s, calcium, magnesium can be found in a variety of foods including leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, dairy, and whole grains. Our body uses vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to help us perform bodily functions, rebuild, and heal damaged tissue, and protect our cells from damage.

 

Below are some ways in which some of the supplements in the study are used by our bodies to help prevent certain diseases and health conditions.

Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is mostly absorbed by our skin from the sun but can be found in some fortified grains and cereals. Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient for building and maintaining strong bones. It also strengthens the immune system, aids in cancer prevention, and can help prevent osteoporosis by slowing down bone mineral loss. 

Calcium

Like vitamin D, calcium is needed for building strong bones. In combination with vitamin D, it may also help prevent cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Deficiency in calcium can result in low bone mass, making you more susceptible to osteoporosis. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential macromineral that is associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis in women post-menopause. It helps build stronger bones by regulating vitamin C and vitamin D levels in your body. Magnesium may also play a role in lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart problems. 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, or fish oil, has been shown to have many benefits on cardiovascular health including reducing risk of heart attack and stroke, lowering blood pressure, lowering triglycerides, and slowing down the development of plaque in your arteries. The best sources of omega-3s are in fatty fish such as tuna, mackerel, and sardines. 

B-Vitamins

B-vitamins are necessary for numerous cellular functions in your body, such as metabolizing carbohydrates. Vitamins B-6, B-12, and folic acid have been shown to be beneficial to heart health. Studies found that people who have higher intakes of B-vitamins are less at risk for heart disease and stroke. They are also less likely to die from heart related health conditions. 

 

Supplements Can Save Lives and Money

The studies conclude that older adults more at risk for chronic disease benefit from an aggressive supplement regimen. But taking your vitamins at any age may help improve your health and reduce your risk of developing a chronic disease later in life. Implementing supplement intake into your daily regimen may be a lifesaving routine as well as a smart financial move both individually and societally.

 

The Foster and Sullivan findings can change the way we approach health care across the board. There are now incentives for companies to include supplement regimens as part of their employee benefits to reduce absenteeism. Doctors and healthcare professionals should encourage their patients to take dietary supplements as part of their healthcare routine to reduce doctor’s visits and hospitalization. 

 

Dietary supplements may be the future of healthcare. If we want to transform our nation from chronically ill one to a healthy nation, preventative measures should be taken. Encouraging the widespread use of dietary supplements may be the first step. 

A Summary Review of the Cost and Cost Effectiveness of Oral Nutritional Supplements

Nutrition plays a large role in disease prevention. Many chronic illnesses can be attributed to poor diet or lack of nutrients. Chronic disease accounts for the highest spending in healthcare and is the leading cause of mortality in the US. Even in the Western world, malnutrition remains a problem particularly for those in high-risk groups (adults over the age of 55).  Malnutrition can also be associated with longer recovery time from surgical procedures, lengthening hospital stay and increasing risk of infection. 

 

Longer hospital stays and more frequent medical attention requires more paid hospital staff and longer working hours. Both of which are taxing on the healthcare budget. In the past, little research has been done regarding the implementation of oral nutritional supplements in community and care home settings and their financial benefit. In a review of studies published by ScienceDirect.com titled, A systematic review of the cost and cost effectiveness of using standard oral nutritional supplements in community and care home settings, the use of oral nutritional supplementation was monitored for its potential financial benefits. 

 

Below is a summary review of the cost and cost effectiveness of oral nutritional supplements in community and care home settings. 

 

A Summary Review of the Cost and Cost Effectiveness of Oral Nutritional Supplements in Community and Care Home Settings

 

A total of 19 studies were reviewed in the ScienceDirect.com publication. The studies involved subjects from community and care home settings of all ages over 18 and both genders. Subjects in each study were either malnourished, non-malnourished, or a combination of both. 

 

Cost effectiveness of the studies was measured in length of hospitalization or bed days when supplements were given preoperative, postoperative, or both. The results were based off of a control group subjected to the same elements but without oral nutritional supplementation intervention. 

 

The nutritional supplements given to subjects were either commercially available or ready to consume multi-nutrients in liquid or semi-liquid form. The supplements provided a mix of both macronutrients and micronutrients. Study comparisons varied between supplement intervention. Most studies compared oral nutritional supplementation vs. no oral nutritional supplementation but other studies compared oral nutritional supplementation with other interventions including vitamin D, calcium, and dietary advice. 

 

The Results

Overall, the results pointed towards the use of oral nutritional supplements producing a beneficial cost-effectiveness or neutral outcome in nearly all studies. Many of these cost savings benefits were attributed to reduced hospitalization admittance and length of hospital stay. Hospitalization accounts for most healthcare costs in community and care home settings. 

 

The most significant benefits were shown in groups where oral nutritional supplements were administered for 3 months or less and in younger subjects. Additionally, one study showed a cost savings benefit in general practices with high supplement prescription rates vs. low prescription rates. 

 

As far as cost expenditure for oral nutritional supplementation, spending was low compared to their cost savings. In total, the costs of administered oral nutritional supplements during a 0.5-3.1-month period accounted for only 1%-11% of health care costs compared to the 69%-90% attributed to hospitalization costs. 

 

In one study where oral nutritional supplements were administered for longer than 3 months, supplement costs accounted for 23% of total healthcare costs while hospitalization accounted for 63%. 

Clinical Benefits of Oral Nutritional Supplementation

In addition to having cost savings benefits, the study also measured clinical benefits. Some of the clinical benefits of administering oral nutritional supplements in community and care home settings include:

 

Improved quality of life: One study reported significant improvements in subjects' physical and mental health after supplements were given in the hospital and for 51 days afterwards. However, there was little improvement in a study involving elderly patients administered oral nutritional supplements perioperative. 

 

Anthropometry improvements: In community studies that involved patients in or outside of hospital, there were significant improvements in weight, skinfold thickness, mid-arm muscle circumference, and nutritional status. 

 

Reduced hospitalizations: Some studies determined a significant reduction in hospital admissions and hospitalization periods attributed to oral nutritional supplementation. 

 

Reduced mortality: Only seven studies had reported deaths, but fewer deaths were reported in groups administered nutritional supplements vs. the control (53 deaths vs. 59). The findings suggest that oral nutritional supplementation may result in lower mortality rates. 

 

Other benefits: Other benefits associated with oral nutritional supplementation include improved functional limitation, less infection rates, improved grip strength, reduced number of falls, and reduced minor postoperative complications. 

Conclusion of Studies

The multi-study review published by ScienceDirect.com suggests the importance of oral nutritional supplementation for reducing costs in community and care home settings. Treating malnourishment and boosting nutritional status leads to improvement of outcome in both perioperative and postoperative patients. Thus, reducing hospital admissions and length of hospital stay which in turn reduces workload and costs within the healthcare system. 

 

Additionally, oral nutritional supplementation improves the health and overall well-being of patients in community and care home settings. The review may conclude that there is a need for a higher oral nutritional supplement prescription rate in the healthcare system to reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. 

 

The Need To Address Nutrient Deficiencies

Nutrient deficiency can contribute to chronic disease as well as impair healing from surgical procedures and injury. Addressing nutrient deficiencies in patients (particularly at-risk patients) early on may improve patient’s outcomes and reduce costs of healthcare. Unfortunately, the modern Western diet is lacking in most vital nutrients. Poor dietary choices or health and age-related malabsorption rates can make nutritional deficiencies worse. 

 

Oral nutritional supplementation should be implemented more in a clinical setting as well as practiced by individuals. Consuming a daily multi-nutrient supplement like WoundVite co-formulated by Devan Patel can help ensure you receive vital nutrients most necessary for health and wellbeing. WoundVite contains 19 different vitamins, minerals, and herbs chosen for their effectiveness in aiding wound recovery. 

 

Nutritional supplements in the form of once or twice daily capsules makes it easier for individuals to obtain proper nutrient intake to improve or maintain their health, thus reducing risk of illness.