While no food is going to help you grow muscle like Popeye when he eats a can of spinach, improving your diet and nutrient intake before and after your hip replacement surgery can have a profound effect on your recovery and long-term hip function. Much of the focus after surgery will be on the hip and its surrounding structures, but it’s also imperative that you work to improve the health of your body so that you provide the right type of environment for healing to take place. And while exercise and physical therapy will play an important role in helping healing along, so too will your diet and nutrient intake. Below, we explore some of the small changes you can make to your diet to provide the right environment for healing to take place after a hip replacement procedure.
What Nutrients To Consume After Hip Replacement
Again, there is no magical food that you can eat that will replace hard work and the effort you’ll put in during your physical therapy sessions, but your diet and nutrient profile can certainly help or hurt your recovery efforts. Here’s what you’ll want to consume to provide a healthy environment for healing to take place after hip replacement.
- Vitamin C – Although it will be important to follow the specific advice of your treating surgeon, don’t be surprised if they recommend increasing your Vitamin C intake before and after your operation. Vitamin C helps to boost your immune system, which will be working overtime to prevent infections in the wake of a surgical procedure. Vitamin C also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can limit the onset of inflammation that proves counterintuitive to the healing process after the trauma of surgery. Boost your Vitamin C levels through your diet or with the help of supplements.
- Vitamin D – Vitamin D is another vitamin that can aid in your recovery after hip replacement surgery. Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone healing, and a lack of Vitamin D may have played a role in why you needed a hip replacement in the first place. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis or bone softening, which can increase your likelihood of needing a hip replacement procedure to address bone issues in the joint. Set the stage for bone recovery by improving your Vitamin D intake after hip surgery.
- Zinc – Zinc is an essential mineral that is oftentimes recommended after joint replacement surgery. Zinc promotes blood clotting, which can help the surgical wound heal faster following your operation. Dairy products, poultry, red meat, seeds and oysters are all good sources of zinc.
- Calcium – Calcium is similar to Vitamin D in that it can lower your risk of infection and encourage ideal bone healing after an operation. Dairy products tend to be high in calcium, but you can also get your daily dose of calcium from a supplement.
- Smart Calorie Consumption – We also talk with patients about their calorie needs following a hip replacement. Because they will be less mobile and burn fewer calories in the days and weeks after their operation, they need to be a little more mindful of their calorie consumption. If you’re consuming the same amount of calories but moving a lot less, you may have a calorie surplus and end up gaining weight. Packing on the pounds while your new hip is getting acclimated to stress is a risky proposition. We don’t expect you to starve yourself while you recover, but be mindful of your calorie intake while you’re less mobile and strive to consume a wide variety of healthy options, like whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and leafy green vegetables.
- Staying Hydrated – Finally, it’s very important that you drink plenty of water during your recovery period. Although you’re not active and sweating, your body is still working hard below the surface, and if you’re not replenishing these fluids, you can become dehydrated and fatigued. Staying hydrated also makes it easier for healthy, oxygen-rich blood to get to the injured tissue and the surgery site and bring nutrients to the areas that need it most. Always have a water bottle nearby during the early stages of your hip replacement recovery.
And to really give yourself the best chance of a strong recovery after hip replacement surgery, consider putting your trust in Dr. Botero and his team. For more information, or for answers to any hip or knee related questions you may have, reach out to Dr. Botero’s office today at (865) 558-4444.
