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Unfortunately today more than ever, we are being
bombarded with environmental "triggers" that stimulate
the production of free radicals, which can cause a
variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis. In
addition, free radicals can accelerate the aging process
of the skin, resulting in wrinkles and sunspots, not to
mention an increased risk of skin cancer. A free radical
is an unstable oxygen molecule that has become damaged
due to factors such as cigarette smoke, air pollution,
ultraviolet light, pesticides, radiation, emotional
stress, and excessive exercise. This unstable oxygen
molecule must find another electron to make itself
complete, so it begins to start bombarding other
molecules, resulting in injury to surrounding tissue.
Free radicals are common in all people, and the body
can, for the most part, defend itself with its
endogenous antioxidants. "Endogenous" antioxidants are
those antioxidants that are naturally in the body that
serve as "free radical scavengers." However, these
endogenous antioxidants can be used up very quickly and
this is why it is important to take antioxidants in
supplement form. These antioxidants are important in
protecting you from disease and can help shield you from
skin cancer, maintain youthful, healthy skin, and even
help to promote and expedite the healing process after a
surgical procedure.
To help you understand how an antioxidant works to
protect you from free radicals, imagine the following
scenario. A beautiful woman is walking down a dark alley
all alone and suddenly a stalker comes out of nowhere
with plans to harm her. Before the stalker gets to her,
a young man jumps in front of her and kills the stalker,
but is killed himself in the process. In this scenario,
the woman is your body, the stalker is the free radical,
and the young man is the antioxidant. Antioxidants
merely "donate" the missing component to the free
radical, making it complete and rendering it harmless.
Although overall balanced nutrition is the starting
point for successful healing of surgical wounds, the
most recent research has placed emphasis on the role and
intake of certain specific nutrients. These include the
antioxidants vitamins C, E and beta carotene, as well as
zinc, and the amino acid arginine. If you are
considering plastic surgery, or have already had a
surgical procedure to correct or rejuvenate a bodily
feature, you know that you should anticipate some
swelling, bruising and tenderness, but of most concern
is the prevention of infection and the proper healing of
the wound. A vitamin deficiency can result in a slow
healing process or even hinder your body from
effectively fighting a potential infection. Therefore,
it is important to be sure to maintain a well balanced
diet including a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
In addition, there are specific nutritional supplements
that you may want to consider adding to your daily
regime. However, it is necessary that you always check
with your personal physician before starting any
nutritional supplementation.
Vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene
Beta carotene is a pro-vitamin A, which means that once
it enters the body it is converted to vitamin A.
Carotenoids, including beta carotene, come in several
different forms and are actually better absorbed in a
supplement form than from foods. The carotenoids in
foods are locked in a fibrous matrix that is difficult
for the body to break down. Cooking the foods helps to
break down the matrix, which helps to increase
absorption, but overcooking could actually break down
the nutrients in the carotenoids themselves. Carotenoid
supplements, because they do not contain this matrix,
are very well absorbed. The natural form of beta
carotene comes from a type of algae, usually Dunaliella
salina. The natural form of beta carotene has a
different composition than the synthetic form. It
actually contains a chemical, which is the primary
antioxidant part of the vitamin. The synthetic beta
carotene, which is water dispersible (acetate, and
palmitate), does not contain this important element and
has much weaker antioxidant properties. Beta carotene
supplements, taken in doses of 5,000 IU a day can help
in the wound healing process both before and after
surgery.
Arginine
Arginine is an amino acid, one of the building blocks
that make up protein, and is responsible for the growth
and continued health of bodies, including the skin. It
has been linked to enhanced immunity and wound healing
and can be found in foods such as fortified oat flakes,
cooked oatmeal, wheat germ, cottage cheese, beef, and
nuts. There are no official RDA's for amino acids and it
is advisable to take these supplements only under a
doctor's supervision. The best advice is to get this
amino acid through your diet.
Vitamin C
The water soluble vitamin C plays an important role in
the formation of collagen, which is important for the
growth and repair of body tissue cells, gums, blood
vessels, bones, and teeth. Vitamin C also has
anti-inflammatory properties, which may also be useful
in the reduction of swelling and tenderness of a wound.
It is particularly important for smokers to take vitamin
C supplements because epidemiological studies have shown
that smokers have a significantly lower plasma level of
vitamin C compared with nonsmokers. We also know from
scientific literature that vitamins C and E can protect
you from ultraviolet skin damage.
There has been a lot of hype about the superiority of
vitamin C with rose hips or esterfied vitamin C, as
opposed to the synthetic form, ascorbic acid. There is
not any truth to these claims. The body recognizes and
absorbs all three types of vitamin C equally. The only
reason why a person may want to consider taking a
natural vitamin C is if they are allergic to citric
acids. However, if you are allergic to pollen then you
probably should take the synthetic vitamin C. My
recommendation is to take 500 mg twice a day.
Vitamin E, d-alpha tocopherol
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that fights the
destructive effects of free radicals in the body. It
also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help
reduce the pain and swelling after surgery. However, it
is also an anticoagulant (blood thinner). For this
reason, I do not recommend that you take this supplement
just before a surgical procedure. However, this vitamin
should be a part of your daily vitamin supplement intake
after surgery. According to a recent federal survey, 30
percent of U.S. adults are vitamin E deficient, a
condition that can raise heart disease and cancer risks,
according to the Center for Disease Control. Perhaps one
of the main reasons why Americans to not get enough
vitamin E is because it is impossible to get all you
need from your diet. In fact, you would have to eat 40
cups of almonds to get the amount that the Cooper Clinic
recommends.
The best form of vitamin E is its natural form, d-alpha
tocopherol. This form of vitamin E comes from sources
such as soybeans and is five times more potent than the
synthetic form dl-alpha tocopherol. In addition, some
research has indicated that the dry form of vitamin E (succinate)
is more easily absorbed then the oily form (acetate).
Bottom line, you will have to pay a little more for this
type of vitamin E, but this is an instance where you get
what you pay for. I recommend 800 IU of d-alpha
tocopherol after surgery and would urge you to continue
to take this supplement indefinitely.
Zinc
Zinc is essential for normal pregnancies, growth and
transmission if our genetic material. It is also
required as an enzyme component of the eyes, liver,
kidneys, muscles, and skin. Almost all of our cells
contain zinc, with the highest concentration in the
bones, prostate glands, and eyes. A zinc deficiency can
result in a delayed healing of wounds; therefore, it is
important to consume 15 mg a day from food sources such
as lean meats, nuts, legumes, and whole grain products.
However, if you are vegetarian or have a poor diet, zinc
supplements might be a consideration if you are having a
surgical procedure. It is not recommended to take zinc
supplements long term, as there is a potential for zinc
toxicity or zinc poisoning when taking zinc at higher
doses.
The best thing that you can do to prepare for a surgical
procedure is to eat a healthy diet. Take a moment to
critically assess your nutritional habits and try to
fill the gaps. In addition, a good multivitamin is
necessary to help you fight disease and to keep your
skin healthy.
Recognized through his writings and research as the
leader of the international physical fitness movement,
Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., has been credited with
motivating more people to exercise in pursuit of good
health than any other person. As President and Founder
of The Cooper Aerobics Center, Dr. Cooper has emphasized
the importance of basic and epidemiological research to
document unequivocally, the value of exercise in the
practice of preventive, diagnostic, and rehabilitative
medicine. Over the last three years, he has begun to do
the same thing with vitamin supplementation. With the
formulation of Cooper CompleteŽ vitamins in 1997, The
Cooper Institute has recently embarked on a clinical
trial to validate the necessity of good nutrition and
vitamin supplementation in the prevention of disease.
For more information about Dr. Cooper, The Cooper
Aerobics Center, and the Cooper Complete vitamins, visit
www.cooperwellness.com. |
