Summary: Wound healing is particularly slow in older adults, and some never fully recover. However, new studies show that prolonged supplementation of specific amino acids may make a significant difference. They can enhance healing, reduce inflammation, and reduce mortality and hospital stays. This may also have some long-term health benefits.
Healing is particularly slow in older adults, and many just fail to recover from specific health conditions and medical interventions. Thus, many older adults remain bedridden after surgical interventions, trauma, and more. These are individuals already living with poor health, and trauma or medical interventions make things worse for them.
Even if older adults recover, they take pretty long. However, healing can be accelerated in elderly individuals with a greater focus on specific nutrition therapy.
Increasing evidence shows that a higher intake of specific amino acids may boost healing, promote recovery, and prevent muscle wasting. Amino acids, unlike proteins, are readily utilized by the body. Moreover, amino acids are not just building blocks. They also act as signaling molecules.
Higher intake of specific amino acids may boost anabolic processes and thus turn the balance towards recovery. Certain amino acids may also help produce beneficial compounds, boost NO production like arginine, modulate immune processes like glutamine, enhance gut health, and promote the production of specific proteins like collagen.
Boosting collagen production may be especially beneficial for older adults. This is the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen plays a vital role in skin health, ligaments and tendons, various connective tissues, muscles, and even bones. All these tissues are particularly slow to heal in older adults.
So, what amino acids may boost wound healing and enhance collagen production?
Though there are many amino acids, just about 22 of them are needed for making proteins. Out of them, some are better at boosting collagen production. These amino acids are not essential for collagen production, but they may increase anabolic processes by reprogramming the body cells. Science has identified that amino acids arginine, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB), and glutamine are particularly good for boosting wound healing.
This has been shown in many clinical studies. In one of the clinical investigations, 70 years or older adults were given 14 g arginine, 3 g HMB, and 14 g glutamine (total nitrogen 3.59 g) in two divided doses for a few days. Researchers found that within a week, there was a significant increase in collagen production in their bodies and faster wound healing.
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Above is an example of just one of the studies. There are many more studies showing that arginine and glutamine are especially good for enhancing wound healing and promoting anabolic processes in the body.
Thus, one of the systemic reviews found that arginine and glutamine can help those living with slow-healing wounds and may even help with age-related muscle wasting and frailty. In their study, researchers found that supplementing arginine and glutamine could reduce inflammation, promote wound healing, significantly reduce mortality, and even reduce the length of hospital stays by 2.65 times. So, yes, benefits could be numerous and considerable. Interventional Pain Management St. Louis can also play a role in promoting recovery in older adults by integrating advanced treatment options that align with these findings.
Figure 1 Stages of skin wound healing (Image source: Arribas-López, E., Zand, N., Ojo, O., Snowden, M. J., & Kochhar, T. (2021). The Effect of Amino Acids on Wound Healing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Arginine and Glutamine. Nutrients, 13(8), 2498.)
Here, it is vital to understand that healing is a slow and prolonged process. Moreover, there are different healing phases with different requirements. This means supplementing arginine, glutamine, and other amino acids must be a long-term effort. One may need to increase their intake for several months to experience significant benefits.
Sources:
Arribas-López, E., Zand, N., Ojo, O., Snowden, M. J., & Kochhar, T. (2021). The Effect of Amino Acids on Wound Healing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Arginine and Glutamine. Nutrients, 13(8), 2498. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082498
Williams, J. Z., Abumrad, N., & Barbul, A. (2002). Effect of a Specialized Amino Acid Mixture on Human Collagen Deposition. Annals of Surgery, 236(3), 369–375.
