Preparing for and recovering from a hospital stay can be a challenging time, but good nutrition can help speed up the recovery process.1 Your body needs extra energy and nutrients to prepare and recover from surgery or illness. It is important to fuel your body with vital nutrients that promote healing.
After a hospital stay, your body may be weakened and in need of proper nutrition to help rebuild and repair itself.
Good nutrition can help you regain strength and heal after illness or surgery:
Help reduce the risk of infection
Help support wound healing
Help reduce the risk of re-hospitalisation
Help reduce muscle inflammation
Help reduce the risk of complications
When you are in hospital or ill you may not get all the energy and nutrients your body needs. Your body may start to break down muscle as a source of energy source and to support vital bodily functions.
Physical inactivity can lead to reduced muscle mass and strength. Bed rest has been shown to cause muscle loss within 10 days in healthy older adults.2
There are several essential nutrients that can help promote healing and are particularly beneficial after leaving the hospital and during your recovery.
Plays an important part in muscle growth and repair.4,5
Supports healthy bones and reduces the risk of fractures.5
Helps protect and preserve muscle mass and strength, and aid recovery.7–12
Helps preserve muscle strength and supports normal muscle function.5,6
When you are unwell or recovering, it might be harder for your body to get all the nutrients it needs. This might be caused by:
Difficulties eating and drinking enough
Decrease in your appetite
Changes to your taste
Decrease in your body’s ability to absorb nutrients
You may consider supplementing your diet with an oral nutrition supplement such as Ensure Plus Strength. Ensure Plus Strength contains a unique blend of ingredients and has been clinically shown to help improve nutritional status and protect muscle – supporting a strong recovery.1,11–14
Maintain muscle strength and support bone health
Maintain muscle strength and bone health without flavour
Low volume, high-energy for those who have difficulty drinking larger volumes
High protein and CaHMB to support muscle strength and recovery1,13-15
High calorie, protein dense to help gain and maintain healthy weight16
Strength and energy for malnutrition risk, surgery, injury or illness recovery17
Read our seven top heart health tips and start taking steps to protect your heart health today.
Discover more about these molecules, how they can help protect your body's cells against damage and where to find them in your diet.
Discover the key nutrients that help maintain muscle strength why these nutrients are so important.
Food for Special Medical Purposes. Use only under medical supervision.
CaHMB: calcium ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate.
References: 1. Hirsch KR, et al. Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1675. 2. Parry SM, Puthucheary ZA. Extrem Physiol Med. 2015 Oct 9;4:16. 3. Argiles J M, et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2016;17(9):789–96. 4. Harvard School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source – Protein. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/ Accessed: April 2023. 5. Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand (Protein). Available at: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/protein Accessed: April 2023. 6. National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian GovernmentDepartment of Health and Ageing, New Zealand Ministry of Health. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Canberra: National Health and Medical ResearchCouncil; 2006. 7. Wagatsuma A and Sakuma K. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:121254. 8. Deutz NEP, et al. Clin Nutr. 2013;32(5):704–12. 9. Deutz NEP, et al. Clin Nutr. 2014;33(6):929–36. 10. Vukovich MD, et al. J Nutr. 2001;131(7):2049-2052. 11. Stout JR, et al. Exp Gerontol. 2013;48(11):1303–10. 12. Bear DM, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(4):1119–32. 13. Ensure®Plus Strength Product Label. 14. Deutz NEP, et al. Clin Nutr. 2016;35(1):18–26. 15. Ekinci O, et al. Nutr Clin Pract. 2016;31(6): 829–35. 16. Malafarina V et al. Maturitas. 2017;101:42–50. 17. Ensure® TwoCal HN Product Label. 18. Ensure® Plus Product Label.
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