Athletes, especially basketball players, dread dealing with ACL injuries. There are various ways that a person can gain confidence about their ligament’s health and food is one of them.
You are what you eat, and this cannot be any truer when talking about ligaments. Here is a list of the nutrients your body needs for better ligament health, and from which foods you can get them.
protein
1.
Collagen is the main protein that our body needs to facilitate the healing process. Lean meat, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils, and Greek yogurt are the best sources of protein.
Vitamin C
2.
Vitamin C plays an essential role in the immune system and collagen synthesis.It also reduces inflammation and speeds up healing and repair.
zinc
3.
Zinc is known as an antioxidant that helps in the healing process with anti-inflammatory properties. Foods containing zinc are beef, lamb, pork, dark meat of poultry, eggs, and fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids
4.
Omega-3 fatty acids aid in the synthesis of collagen, which is the main building block of ligaments. Sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish like salmon and tuna.
Glucosamine
5.
Glucosamine is found in the fluids surrounding the joints and plays a role in the synthesis of various connective tissues. Food sources are fermented corn and other vegetables.
Antioxidants
6.
Antioxidants help the immune system in healing body parts that need repair. Foods rich in antioxidants are berries, grapes, and red to blue-colored leafy vegetables.
Vitamin D and calcium
7.
Calcium is the primary player in bone health and Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption, which ensures that the bones’ condition will be at the optimum level.
Fiber
8.
In recovery, the reduction in movement will result in decreased metabolism rate, leading to weight gain. To prevent that, it is recommended to eat more foods rich in fiber.
Knee injuries involving the ligaments are devastating. With those kinds of injuries, it is important to include in your diet more foods that promote ligament health.