Eating more fruits and vegetables after cosmetic surgery may aid in your recovery, according to a new study out of Brazil. Doctors asked 60 women (age 25-60) who had undergone cosmetic abdominal surgery to consume 6 servings of fruits and vegetables every day during the first month of recovery.
They wanted to see if the increased antioxidant intake (specifically from food) would result in a noticeable reduction in C-reactive protein, a known marker of inflammation and infection. “Fruits and vegetables are attractive tools for the combat of inflammation because of their rich endowment of anti-inflammatory vitamins,” they write.
On the third day of recovery, the participants started the diet and continued it for four weeks afterward; interviews were held the second and third week to rule out changes in dietary habits and to reinforce compliance with the experimental diet.
The supplemented participants had more substantial fruit (5.2 vs. 3.9 servings, approximately) and vegetable (5.9 vs. 3.4 servings) consumption compared to the control group.
Results showed that C-reactive protein diminished in both groups, but a “more expressive decrease could be demonstrated for the high fruit and vegetable participants.”
Researchers concluded that an increase of fruits and vegetables after surgery can be a feasible strategy to reduce C-reactive protein. They recommend future studies that focus on additional inflammatory markers, different disease contexts and longer periods of supplementation and follow-up.
The free full text of this study is available through Pubmed.gov.