How does Nutrition Affect Wound Healing?

Interference during the complex wound healing process might lead to a delayed or absence of wound closure. One possible disruptive factor can be wrong nutrition. It is necessary to differentiate between quantitative and qualitative malnutrition. Preferential obese patients suffer from a qualitative malnutrition and sarkopenia. Specific diseases require a specific nutritional recommendation. For example, patients with dialysis, decubitus, or leg ulcers often have a lack of proteins. In addition, other nutrient deficiencies with vitamin C, zinc, folate, vitamin D or trace elements might have a negative impact on wound healing. Prospective studies should clarify if substitution of those nutrient deficiencies might improve wound healing. It seems to be reasonable to strive for an improvement in the consumption of vitamins, trace elements and proteins adopted to a balanced alimentation and adjusted to individual dietary habits.