Can Your Diet Help You Heal After Cosmetic Surgery?

In a new clinical study out of Brazil, doctors asked 60 women to dramatically increase their intake of fruits and vegetables during their recovery from cosmetic surgery. Their findings reveal some promising potential benefits of antioxidant intake, not only after surgery, but also for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

Doctors hypothesized that a diet rich in fruits and veggies would produce an anti-inflammatory response in the participants. In this case, they decided to examine the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and levels of C-reactive protein, a common marker of inflammation and infection.

According to the study, the subjects were interviewed the first day after elective cosmetic abdominal surgery. They started the experimental diet on the third day and doctors followed their progress for one more month.

They explain the post-operative diet as follows:

“Six servings each of fruits and vegetables, reflecting a diet rich in such foodstuffs, were advised. Seven easy and convenient recipes were developed by the team with the objective of improving palatability and intake.”

Results of the study showed that both the control group and the dieting group experienced a reduction in C-reactive protein, but according to the study authors, “a more expressive decrease could be demonstrated for the high fruit and vegetable participants.”

Although the authors caution against making any hasty conclusions, they do suggest some interesting benefits based on the findings. In particular, they argue that fruits and vegetables are safe, tolerable and inexpensive. They also mention a “synergistic” effectiveness associated with good nutrition.

This study is currently accessible for free through Pubmed.gov