Eating for Healing: Dietary Considerations for a Broken Bone

March 28, 2024

Folk saying goes, "Like treats like." So what should you eat to help heal a broken bone quickly? Today, we will introduce what to eat for a broken bone and some related precautions to help you recover faster.

Many people believe that drinking bone broth is good for a broken bone. But is it really true? Let's learn about the dietary considerations for a broken bone.

Dietary Considerations for a Broken Bone

In the early stages of a broken bone, the diet should be light and rich in nutrients, with plenty of soup and less oily and fried foods. The taste should not be too spicy. There is no need to be too rigid about the various "food restrictions" in folk medicine, but alcohol should be consumed as little as possible or not at all, especially when taking injections or medication.

Alcohol can interact with various medications and may affect their effectiveness or cause adverse reactions. Tea should be consumed in moderation as it contains high levels of tannins, which can affect the absorption of calcium, iron, and protein. Vinegar and spinach should be consumed in moderation as they acidify the blood and lead to calcium leaching from the bones.

You can eat more foods with high protein content, such as lean meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Eat more vegetables and fruits, which not only provide vitamins and minerals but also have a high fiber content that can increase intestinal motility and prevent constipation that often occurs during bed rest. Examples of high-fiber vegetables include celery and leeks. Banana and honey also have obvious intestinal lubricating effects.

Three to four weeks after the injury, most of the congestion will be absorbed, and it will enter the mid-stage of fracture recovery. The treatment should focus on promoting circulation, relieving pain, removing congestion, and promoting bone and tendon healing. The diet should transition from light to adequate nutrition to meet the needs of bone callus growth, supplemented with vitamins A, D, calcium, and protein.

Six to eight weeks after the injury, the swelling caused by the fracture will be mostly absorbed, and bone callus will have formed. The treatment should focus on replenishing liver and kidney, Qi and blood, to promote the formation of firm bone callus and to relax tendons and activate collaterals, allowing adjacent joints to move freely and restore their previous functions. Dietary restrictions can be lifted, and high-nutrient foods can be consumed for supplementation. Those who can consume alcohol can be given Du Zhong and Gu Sui Bu wine or Tiger Bone Papaya wine.

Parents should arrange a reasonable diet for children after a bone fracture, ensuring that they consume foods that benefit wound healing.

Encourage children to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as foods rich in vitamin C, which can help promote bone callus growth and wound healing.

Fracture patients often experience increased metabolic rate and are prone to malnutrition and protein deficiency. Therefore, a high-protein diet is recommended to enhance resistance and promote wound healing. Sufficient intake of high-quality protein, such as milk, eggs, meat, and seafood, is necessary.

Supplement trace elements such as zinc, iron, and manganese. Foods rich in zinc include animal liver, seafood, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms. Foods rich in iron include animal liver, eggs, beans, leafy vegetables, and wheat flour. Foods rich in manganese include oatmeal, mustard greens, egg yolks, and cheese. These foods are beneficial for wound recovery and the overall health of the child.

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