Change Your Diet to Boost Your PRP Results!

Have you heard of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy? This treatment uses the platelet-rich part of your blood to promote healing at the site of damaged tissues. It has been shown to speed up recovery and reduce pain. How can you boost your PRP results? One thing you can do is make some minor changes to your diet following your PRP appointment. This blog post touches on some foods you should eat, as well as some that you should steer clear of.

Eat These Foods

You should be eating foods that promote healthy blood production. For example, you should ensure that you get enough folate, also known as vitamin B9, because it can help the cells injected during PRP therapy to grow and reproduce. Some foods that are rich in folate include:

• Dark, leafy vegetables
• Spinach
• Beef liver
• Rice
• Fresh oranges
• Kidney beans
• Fortified breakfast cereals

You should also be sure to take in adequate amounts of iron. It is important in supporting desirable blood count numbers. Some foods that contain iron include:

• Dark chocolate
• Lentils
• Eggs
• Spinach
• Beef liver
• Kidney beans

Avoid These Foods

Unfortunately, some foods have a reputation for reducing blood platelet counts, which could stop your PRP injections from reaching their true potential. Such foods include:

• Cranberry juice
• Cow’s milk
• Garlic
• Tonic water

It is worth noting that the above-listed foods are quite beneficial under normal circumstances. They often belong in a balanced, nutritious diet — but they should be temporarily avoided after PRP injections.

Abstain from Alcohol

It is important to abstain from alcoholic beverages during your post-PRP period. It is known to interfere with blood cell production and can therefore result in a significant reduction in your platelet count. Even more concerning is the fact that the platelets produced may be less sticky than those that are produced in the absence of alcohol. In other words, they are less effective at forming clots.

It is generally recommended that patients avoid alcohol for at least 72 hours following PRP injections.

Other Ways to Support Desirable PRP Results

In addition to changing your diet, there are other steps you can take to support good results from your PRP therapy:

• Get some cardio exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is known to ramp up the production of red blood cells within the body.
• Avoid smoking. There is a strong link between the use of cigarettes and delayed wound healing.
• Try a papaya leaf extract supplement. A limited amount of research indicates that papaya leaf extract may increase blood platelet counts.

Most important of all, be sure to follow post-treatment instructions from your doctor. Hopefully, your efforts will help you enjoy optimum results from your PRP injections!

Meet the Practice

The team of physicians and other medical professionals at the Institute for Non-Surgical Orthopedics are proud to offer PRP injections as one of our many treatment options. If you are interested in learning how we can use natural, conservative therapies to help you find relief from pain, contact our Fort Lauderdale office at 954-563-2707.