Best Drinks for Wound Healing: Hydration and Nutrition Combined
What drink promotes wound healing?
The Quick Answer
**Bone broth** provides collagen precursors (glycine, proline) and minerals that support tissue repair. **Water** remains essential—dehydration reduces blood flow to wounds by 30%. **Green tea** offers anti-inflammatory polyphenols. Avoid sugary drinks—they impair neutrophil function and increase infection risk. Aim for 8–10 glasses of water daily plus 1–2 cups bone broth for optimal healing support.
Why We Ask This
Patients focus exclusively on topical wound care while neglecting hydration's critical role—chronic mild dehydration silently compromises perfusion to healing tissue, extending recovery by weeks without obvious symptoms beyond delayed closure.
The Practical Science
Adequate hydration maintains plasma volume for capillary perfusion to wound edges. Bone broth's glycine stimulates fibroblast proliferation; epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea reduces MMP-9 activity that degrades healing tissue. Sugar-sweetened beverages elevate blood glucose, impairing neutrophil chemotaxis for 5+ hours post-consumption.
In Clinical Practice
A post-surgical patient drinks 2L water plus 1 cup homemade bone broth daily—wound edges show robust granulation by day 7 versus pale, sluggish healing in a comparison patient consuming sugary sodas, demonstrating how strategic fluid choices directly impact cellular repair capacity.
References & Context
The Best Post-Surgery Drinks: What to Sip for Optimal Healing"Bone broth is rich in collagen, amino acids, and minerals, which are vital for wound healing and tissue repair. Opt for homemade or high-quality store-bought bone broth without added preservatives or sodium. Drinking warm bone broth post-surgery can help: Strengthen skin elasticity and accelerate scar healing."