I am often asked about nutritional supplements, among which whether people who recover after surgery need to take protein powder is a concern for everyone.
Today, I will start with the role of protein and talk to you about this topic.
Immunity is like a “loyal guard” of the body, always guarding our health. When immunity decreases, bacteria and viruses can easily invade. People who are prone to colds, have a long course of illness, recover slowly after a cold, are often tired, have slow wound healing, or even feel tired often may be manifestations of low immunity.
Surgery is a huge test for the patient’s body, damaging tissues and organs, consuming a lot of energy and nutrients. After surgery, the patient is weak and needs to restore physical strength and immunity to fight diseases and promote wound healing.
At this time, protein plays a key role in our body. As we all know, our body is like a building, and protein is the “brick” that makes up this building. It is the basic substance that makes up human cells, tissues and organs. Take our muscles for example. If we compare muscles to a sponge, protein is the water in the sponge. Without enough protein, muscles will atrophy and their strength will weaken. In addition to these, our skin, hair, nails, etc. cannot do without the support of protein.
In fact, there are many foods in our daily diet that are rich in protein, such as eggs, milk, meat, beans, etc. Protein is essential for improving immunity and promoting physical recovery. However, the reason why people with poor immunity are more likely to get sick can be found in their diet structure. There are still many problems in daily diet. For example, the elderly are used to being frugal, do not pay attention to nutritional diversity, or do not like to eat meat, and are prone to diarrhea when drinking milk; office workers order takeout, and the food is high in oil, high in calories and unbalanced in nutrition. The diet of postoperative patients is more demanding. Some can only eat liquid food, and their digestion and absorption ability is relatively weak. If they take in too much high-protein food at once, they are prone to indigestion.
For people who have undergone surgery or are sick, they need to supplement 1.2-1.5g/kg of body weight of protein every day. In this case, protein powder becomes an ideal choice. It is rich in high-quality protein, easy to digest and absorb, and can accurately meet the special needs of postoperative patients for protein, bringing great convenience to them to supplement nutrition and enhance physical fitness.
At present, there are many types of protein powder on the market, generally including plant protein, animal protein and isolated whey protein. From the source, plant protein comes from plants such as beans and grains, and animal protein comes from animal products such as meat, eggs, and milk. Among them, isolated whey protein is extracted from milk. From a nutritional point of view, plant protein lacks some essential amino acids, animal protein is complete, and isolated whey protein has reasonable amino acids. From the perspective of digestion and absorption, plant protein molecules are large and have low absorption rate, while animal protein is higher. The isolated whey protein molecules in animal protein are small and easier to be absorbed and the fastest.
In general, whether from the source of protein or from the bioavailability, it is recommended to give priority to isolated whey protein powder. Isolated whey protein is a high-purity whey protein obtained after process treatment, that is, most of the lactose, fat and water are separated during the processing process, so it is suitable for most people, and lactose intolerance or diabetics can also drink it. Unlike ordinary whey protein, isolated whey has a better absorption rate and is a good helper for nutritional supplementation. It has a high protein content, is very easy to absorb by the body, and basically contains no fat and lactose. It can help grow muscles and enhance immunity.
Although the price of protein powder may be higher than that of ordinary food, considering its convenience and efficiency, I think it is still worth it.
However, protein powder cannot be used as the only source of nutrition. We still need to maintain a balanced diet, eat more vegetables and fruits, and consume enough carbohydrates and fats.