Damage sustained to a ligament requires a certain amount of time to repair, and nutrition functions as a vital support mechanism during the healing process. Rest, ice, and elevation also support healing when a ligament has been strained or sprained. The vitamins and minerals found in specific foods can help restore a ligament to full strength and full range of motion.
Specifics
Within joints, ligaments connect one bone to another bone and provide overall stability for the joint. An example is the knee joint, wherein two ligaments -- the medial collateral ligament, or MCL, and the lateral collateral ligament, or LCL-- connect the femur to the tibia, according to the anatomy site Eorthopod.com. Ligaments regulate range of motion, and inhibit movements that injure the joint. Dense connective tissue comprised of collagen -- a protein -- forms ligaments. Within the ligament, three types of collagen reside, according to PhysioRoom.com: type 1 collagen, which is mature and possesses the most strength; type 3 collagen, which has not matured yet and therefore provides little strength to the ligament, and fibroblast cells, which produce collagen. After an injury, nutrition and time help the collagen within the ligament rebuild itself.
Vitamin C
Collagen formation depends on the synthesis of vitamin C, according to the online magazine Nutrition Review. The body uses vitamin C combined with two important amino acids -- lysine and proline -- to form collagen, and in so doing, uses up the vitamin C up. The body does not create its own vitamin C, therefore adequate dietary intake becomes essential. A vitamin C deficient diet impairs collagen formation and disrupts ligament healing. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, red and green peppers, kiwifruit and cantaloupe net excellent sources of vitamin C, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Consuming five servings of various fruits and vegetables, preferably raw or steamed, can provide more than 200 mg of vitamin C each day.
Bromelain and Manganese
According to chiropractor and certified clinical nutritionist G. Douglas Andersen, bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme found in pineapple, helps reduce inflammation following a ligament injury. Manganese, a trace mineral, plays a fundamental role in connective tissue production, says Andersen. Manganese also activates and stimulates triple helix formation, the building block of collagen. Pineapple provides an excellent source of manganese also.
Zinc
Zinc represents an important component in ligament healing, according to Anderson. Zinc, a trace mineral, reduces inflammation, and Anderson links zinc deficiency to the interruption of collagen production. Also, since injured areas of the body typically require more zinc, it is important to maintain zinc levels so that the rest of the body does not encounter a shortage. Oysters offer the best source of zinc, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Red meat, crab, lobsters, chicken and fortified breakfast cereals are also good sources of zinc.
Considerations
While an injured ligament needs proper nutrition to heal, other important elements of healing include time and patience. Anderson stresses that the healing process continues long past the point where pain abates. Too much movement or activity potentially aggravates the injury and interferes with collagen rejuvenation. Mismanagement of a fledgling injury -- one or two weeks old -- can initiate chronic long-term joint problems.
References
- Eorthopod.com: Knee Anatomy
- Physio Room: Ligament Damage and Repair
- Nutrition Review: The Collagen Connection
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- Dynamic Chiropractic: Nutritional Support for Ligamentous Injuries
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc
