Senior Dietitian Amy Ekin explains how hospital food can help to heal a pressure injury.
While you are in hospital, your meal will have been specially designed by dietitians to support healing and wellness. We work closely with the team in the hospital’s kitchen to ensure you will receive a well-balanced diet with the following vitamins, minerals and protein.
- Protein: required for synthesis of new tissue.
- Zinc: protein and collagen synthesis and tissue growth and healing.
- Iron: helps deliver oxygen to wound site.
- Vitamin C: collagen synthesis and formation of new blood vessels. also helps the immune system and increases absorption of iron.
- Vitamin A: increases the inflammatory response and stimulates collagen synthesis.
- Arginine: essential for wound healing and repair.
- Energy: carbohydrates preferred source of energy, important to have adequate so the body doesn’t utilise protein muscle stores.
Amy’s top three tips to support healing:
- Try eating 5-6 smaller meals and snacks spread out over the day
- Choose high energy high protein snacks
- Drink at least 1.5L of fluid per day