Is it really necessary to take protein powder after surgery?
In the medical field, nutritional supplementation is an important part of promoting the physical recovery of patients after surgery. Especially after undergoing surgery, patients need protein powder to support their physical recovery. Physical recovery after surgery must be taken seriously!
You can’t skip maintenance, but you can’t do it randomly either!
A question I am often asked is – what should patients eat more of after surgery to help their bodies recover as quickly as possible?
Many older generations are used to giving patients tonic food immediately after surgery, which is actually a bit unscientific. For example, some people like to make black chicken soup, crucian carp soup, or boil water with herbs such as astragalus and angelica for patients after surgery. However, this may be counterproductive! Because the physical conditions of most patients do not allow it! Many people will face the problem of indigestion and inability to absorb.
My suggestion is: For patients who have undergone surgery or a serious illness, the most important thing is to focus on the supplementation of the three major nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and lipids and trace elements), among which high-quality protein is the No. 1 requirement.
How should the body be “maintained” after surgery, and among the protein powders that many people choose , how should we choose the reliable one?
Due to time constraints, I will only talk about protein among the three nutrients I mentioned above , because it is really important! !
Importance of Protein
Before we begin, let’s first understand the importance of protein. Many people don’t know what protein does. In fact, protein is the basic component of human cells. We can simply understand it as both “raw material” and “engine”.
After surgery, the patient’s body tissues, such as muscles, skin, bones, etc., have suffered varying degrees of damage, and cell repair and regeneration require protein as raw material.
The antibodies in the human immune response, enzymes in endocrine regulation and metabolism are also proteins. Some hormones (such as insulin) are also proteins or peptides. They play an important role in regulating the body’s blood sugar levels, metabolism and storage of nutrients, etc., and are especially crucial for postoperative recovery.
The core of postoperative nutrition – high-quality protein
To judge whether the protein is of high quality, we mainly look at two indicators: protein digestibility and the ratio of essential amino acids .
Good quality lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and beans are all considered high-quality proteins, but the dietary fiber in plants will hinder the digestion of protein to a certain extent.
The time that food stays in the intestine is basically fixed, and it will not stay longer because plant protein is difficult to digest. Therefore, some of the protein in the plant may be excreted before it has time to be “absorbed” by the body.
Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized in the human body and must be obtained from food. Therefore, the amount of essential amino acids contained in food protein becomes a key indicator to measure the quality of the protein.
In general: we just need to remember that animal protein has a higher digestibility than plant protein! Try to choose animal protein, which is easier to be absorbed and digested by the human body! !
How to supplement protein
Protein supplementation is an important part of maintaining good health, especially for postoperative patients and people with an unbalanced diet, protein supplementation is even more important!
Here are some ways to supplement protein. You can take notes.
- Food supplements:
Protein mainly comes from food, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, etc. These foods are rich in high-quality protein and can meet the body’s protein needs. You can supplement protein by eating more of these foods to keep your body healthy! - Protein powder supplement
When the diet cannot meet the protein needs, such as when you have no appetite or cannot digest food, you can consider using protein powder for supplementation. Protein powder is a high-purity protein supplement that is convenient, fast, and easy to absorb. It is currently loved by most people…
When to start supplementing with protein powder
Generally speaking, patients can start to supplement protein powder after surgery according to their own conditions. The specific time depends on the type of surgery and the patient’s physical condition. Generally speaking, it is more appropriate to start supplementing protein powder within one to two weeks after surgery.
Protein powder classification
Animal protein powder: Animal protein comes from meat, eggs, and milk, which has high nutritional value and is easier to absorb.
Animal and plant mixed protein powder: Common animal and plant protein powder is a mixture of soy protein and whey protein , but the usage environment and population of these two proteins are different. From the perspective of amino acid complementarity, the two cannot complement each other. This practice is necessary for commercial gimmicks on the one hand, and cost reduction on the other.
Soy protein powder: Soy protein is the protein contain in soybean products and is a plant protein. Protein can be extract from soybeans to make soy protein powder. Soy protein powder is easy to consume, has a higher absorption rate, and puts less burden on the kidneys.
How to choose protein powder?
Animal protein > Animal and plant mixed protein > Soy protein
It is recommend to choose whey protein powder as its small molecules are the easiest to digest and absorb.
About Whey Protein Powder
Whey protein is extract from milk and contains high-quality protein. It is one of the most easily absorb types of protein powder. It has the characteristics of high biological value, easy digestion and absorption.
In addition, whey protein powder is rich in branched-chain amino acids, which help promote muscle synthesis. Whey protein isolate is a high-purity whey protein obtain through a certain process base on concentrated whey protein. Which has a better absorption and utilization rate. It contains almost no lactose, so it can also be use by people with lactose intolerance. Only 7g of whey protein can be extract from 1000g of milk, so it is call the “king of protein”.
After surgery, the body’s nutritional needs are often more urgent, and energy and nutrients need to be quickly replenish to support the body’s recovery. Whey protein isolate can be quickly absorb by the body and deliver the nutrients in it to various parts of the body. It can replenish the body’s nutrition in a short period of time and meet the body’s high demand for protein after surgery. This rapid absorption feature allows the body to obtain the required nutrients in a timely manner and promote the body’s recovery process.
Whether you are a patient who has just undergone surgery, the rapid absorption of whey protein isolate can provide significant benefits.
Which protein powder is best?
My recommendation is: American brand Nutrasumma isolated whey protein powder
Nutrasumma has formed a professional team of doctors, pharmacists and researchers around the world to continuously study and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of its products. With rich experience and expertise, this professional team selects high-quality natural raw materials from around the world, passes up to 170 quality tests, and obtains multiple international authoritative organic certifications, ensuring the high quality and effectiveness of Nutrasumma’s isolated whey protein powder.
It has a high safety level and is especially suitable for people who have just undergone surgery. It has high nutritional value and is safe and secure. Please note that if you are a patient after surgery, do not eat seafood that is prone to allergies, spicy and irritating foods, high-sugar foods, high-fat foods, and high-salt foods, etc. Pay attention to maintaining your body.
It has a very good effect and helps improve the self-protection ability of people who have undergone surgery, are hospitalize for sudden stroke, have many dietary restrictions, are malnourished, have no appetite, and the elderly and other people with high protein needs, people with bad teeth, cannot eat, are prone to infection, have poor self-protection ability, are thin and have no strength, and have unsteady walking and are prone to falling.
Choosing protein powder
When choosing protein powder, the most important thing is to look at the protein content and the raw materials of the formula. As I mentioned above , it is recommend to give priority to isolate whey protein, which is the easy to absorb and digest . One of the important reasons why I recommend this is that its formula is particularly clean. It does not add soy protein. It is a small molecule whey protein from pure animal sources, and the absorption efficiency is particularly high. And there is no added sugar, sweeteners and flavors, etc., which is very suitable for diabetics. Some patients ignore this when choosing protein powder, resulting in high sugar content and unsatisfactory results.
Regarding the protein content that many people are concerned about, the amount of isolated whey protein added in this product is directly 99%. High-purity protein means that it can provide the body with sufficient amino acids. It contains 9 essential amino acid nutrients that constitute the human body, which can play a synergistic role and maintain the supply of branched-chain essential amino acids in the blood of the human body.
Moreover, the product is made through separation and purification technology, contains almost no lactose, and is very friendly to people who are allergic to dairy products.
Specific method of consumption
Nutrisuma isolated whey protein powder can be take with warm water, milk, juice, etc. Generally speaking, take about 20 grams of protein powder each time, 1-2 times a day.
When consuming protein powder, you should follow the product instructions to prepare it and avoid overdose. At the same time, you should pay attention to consuming it with other foods to ensure a balanced intake of nutrition.
Last words
In short, for postoperative patients, proper supplementation of protein powder can help the body recover quickly. If the patient has a poor appetite and has difficulty digesting meat and eggs, taking whey protein powder may be a more suitable choice. Ultimately, you have to buy it according to your own preferences and physical needs.
