Why is good nutrition critical during and after your hospital stay?

It is common to find it difficult to eat and to maintain a healthy weight after critical illness.

Critical illness can change what nutrition our bodies need. During critical illness, your body will have used some of its stored fat and muscle to turn it into energy to help with your recovery. This can cause muscle and weight loss.

You may feel weak and tired and find it more difficult to do things due to having lost some muscle strength during and after critical illness.

At least 1 out of 3 patients arriving at hospital are malnourished and out of those arriving malnourished the nutritional status will decline in 2 out of 3 patients during their stay.

What nutrition do I need when recovering from critical illness and hospitalisation?

After critical illness and hospitalisation, your body needs extra nutrients to help you to recover and to regain your strength, so you will need a diet high in protein and energy.

Complex carbohydrates are crucial for the recovery process as they provide the energy.

Omega-3 fatty acids can also play a role in building muscle mass, regaining strength as well as decreasing inflammation.

Vitamin A, C, and D are needed for optimal immune function.

Minerals zinc and selenium assists immune function.

It is common to take nutritional supplement drinks alongside eating to help with your recovery during hospitalisation and you can continue taking a nutritional supplement whilst you recover at home.

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Reference:

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        2. Pritchett K. Injury Prevention and Recovery. Today’s Dietitian. [Cited 2023 May 24]. Available from: https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0423p18.shtml
        3. SHN Staff. Nutrition for the injured and healing athlete. 2018 Nov 9. [Cited 2023]. May Sanford Health. Available from: https://news.sanfordhealth.org/sports-medicine/nutrition-athlete-injured/
        4. Albrich L. Nutrition in Hospital after Critical Illness. 2020 June. [Cited May 24]. The Association of UK Dietitians. Available from: https://www.bda.uk.com/uploads/assets/59fe265f-49df-4c0f-9ffe78993f20a26b/de96258a-2857-4bbe-90654cc7fc8f80d5/Nutrition-in-hospital-after-critical-illness-FINAL-PDF-Version-June2020.pdf
        5. Reisdorf A. Meeting the Nutrient Needs of Hospitalized Patients. 2019 Nov 22. [Cited 2023 May
        6. Nzmp. Available from: https://www.nzmp.com/global/en/news/hospitalized-patient-nutrient-needs.html