NUTRITION-BASED SUPPORT FOR THE BODY'S OWN WOUND HEALING PROCESSES

Abstract

The use of a preparation for nutrition-based support of the body's own wound healing processes at the local and systemic level by oral intake of the preparation, which contains per gram as a basic preparation the following mixture of vitamins and nutrients: a. 330-385 μg of vitamin B1, b. 420-490 μg of vitamin B2, c. 4.8-5.6 mg of vitamin B3, d. 1.8-2.1 mg of vitamin B5, e. 420-490 μg of vitamin B6, f. 15-18 μg of vitamin H, g. 80-390 μg of vitamin B9, h. 1.0-4.9 μg of vitamin B12, i. 32-156 mg of vitamin C, j. 150-731 mg of magnesium, k. 4-20 mg of zinc and l. 3-200 mg of tryptophan.

Claims

1. A method of nutrition-based support of the body's own wound healing processes at the local and systemic level by oral intake of a preparation, which comprises, per gram as a basic preparation, the following mixture of vitamins and nutrients: a. 330-385 μg of vitamin B1, b. 420-490 μg of vitamin B2, c. 4.8-5.6 mg of vitamin B3, d. 1.8-2.1 mg of vitamin B5, e. 420-490 μg of vitamin B6, f. 15-18 μg of vitamin H, g. 80-390 μg of vitamin B9, h. 1.0-4.9 μg of vitamin B12, i. 32-156 mg of vitamin C, j. 150-731 mg of magnesium, k. 4-20 mg of zinc and l. 3-200 mg of tryptophan.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preparation additionally contains 0.1 g to 4 g of arginine (pure or measured as the weight of the arginine in compounds thereof) per gram of the basic preparation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preparation additionally contains 0.1 g to 4 g of glutamine (pure or measured as the weight of the glutamine in compounds thereof) per gram of the basic preparation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the preparation additionally contains 3 g to 30 g of protein in the form of proteins, peptides, amino acids or a mixture thereof per gram of the basic preparation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the protein of the preparation consists of the protein sources of slow availability for the body from the family of whey proteins, hen's egg proteins or plant proteins and protein sources of rapid availability from the family of whey proteins, partially predigested proteins or peptides or amino acids and/or a mixture of said protein sources.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the proportion of the protein sources of slow availability in the preparation is between 50% and 90% of the total protein proportion of the preparation.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, irrespective of the protein used, the preparation additionally contains, in each case, between 0.1 g and 10 g of the amino acid alanine or compounds thereof per gram of the basic preparation.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, irrespective of the protein used, the preparation additionally contains, in each case, between 0.1 g and 10 g of the amino acid glycine or compounds thereof per gram of the basic preparation.

9. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein, irrespective of the protein used, the preparation additionally contains, in each case, between 0.1 g and 10 g of the amino acid cysteine or compounds thereof per gram of the basic preparation contained.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preparation additionally contains 0.1 g to 3 g of one or more sources of omega-3-rich fatty acids from the family of vegetable oils, fish oils, algae preparations or isolated fatty acids per gram of the basic preparation.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the preparation contains between 50 and 750 mg of EPA and between 50 and 750 mg of DHA per gram of the basic preparation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preparation additionally contains 0.5 to 5 g of one or more substances from the family of carbohydrate absorption-slowing substances consisting of beta-glucans, cyclodextrins or modified methylcelluloses per gram of the basic mixture.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The use of the preparation according to the invention as claimed in claim 1 for oral intake is aimed at not only providing the micronutrients and macronutrients required for wound healing, but also specifically supporting local and systemic processes. Therefore, the basic preparation used is a customary mixture of vitamins and nutrients that is guided by the nutritional recommendations for healthy people.

[0016] It has been found that a proportion of magnesium, zinc, vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and vitamin C (“active complex”) that is increased in a particular and coordinated manner compared to the nutritional recommendations has an unexpectedly positive effect on wound healing. The literature does state that these individual substances have various positive effects at the level of the building blocks of cells, at the level of the cells themselves and at the level of the entire organism, which effects can also promote wound healing. However, combination of the substances present in increased proportions in connection with embodiments dealt with in the dependent claims has yielded unexpectedly positive effects which have a surprisingly supportive impact at all levels of the natural wound healing processes.

[0017] The basic preparation used according to the invention as claimed in claim 1 contains the substances and amounts listed in Table 2 per gram of the basic preparation. For guidance, Table 1 presents the recommended amounts for daily intake according to Commission Directive 2008/100/EC of Oct. 28, 2008. Some of the substances are used for basic supply in order to avoid certain supply deficiencies that limit wound healing (“basic supply”). In the case of the substances of the actual active complex, the coverage of the recommendations from Table 1 per gram of the basic preparation is increased by a factor of 1.2 to 5.8 compared to the substances of the basic supply in order to achieve the surprising, particularly positive effect. One gram of the basic preparation therefore covers 30% to 35% of the respective recommendations according to Table 1 in the case of the basic supply, but 40% to 195% of the respective recommendation for the substances of the active complex.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Daily recommended amounts for intake according to Commission Directive 2008/100/EC of Oct. 28, 2008 Recommended Name Common name daily intake Thiamine Vitamin B1 1.1 mg Riboflavin Vitamin B2 1.4 mg Niacin Vitamin B3 16 mg Pantothenic acid Vitamin B5 6 mg Pyridoxine Vitamin B6 1.4 mg Biotin Vitamin H 50 μg Folic acid Vitamin B9 200 μg Cobalamin Vitamin B12 2.5 μg Ascorbic acid Vitamin C 80 mg Magnesium 375 mg Zinc 10 mg

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Composition of the basic preparation, consisting of a basic supply and increased proportions of the active complex Coverage of recommended Amount per g of amounts for daily intake Name Common name basic preparation per g of basic preparation Basic supply Thiamine Vitamin B1 330-385 μg 30-35% Riboflavin Vitamin B2 420-490 μg 30-35% Niacin Vitamin B3 4.8-5.6 mg 30-35% Pantothenic Vitamin B5 1.8-2.1 mg 30-35% acid Pyridoxine Vitamin B6 420-490 μg 30-35% Biotin Vitamin H 15-18 μg 30-35% Active complex Folic acid Vitamin B9 80-390 μg 40-195%  Cobalamin Vitamin B12 1.0-4.9 μg 40-195%  Ascorbic acid Vitamin C 32-156 mg 40-195%  Magnesium 150-731 mg 40-195%  Zinc 4-20 mg 40-195% 

[0018] The basic preparation can contain both the (pure) substances listed in Table 2 and compounds thereof, though in the case of compounds, only the weight fraction of the pure substance contained is taken into account in each case for ascertaining the amount per gram of basic preparation for the data in Table 2. The weight difference between the amounts specified in column 3 of Table 2 and one gram corresponds to the weight of the counter ions, for example the minerals, the molecules that may be additionally connected to the pure substances, such as complexing agents for example, and other auxiliaries without a therapeutic effect that may be required. In various embodiments, this basic preparation can be configured particularly advantageously by addition of further substances that are helpful for wound healing in combination with the basic preparation. For these preparations, what follows is specification of the amounts additionally added in relation to the basic preparation contained in the overall preparation, i.e., the amount which is additionally contained in the overall preparation per gram contained of the basic preparation.

[0019] In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the preparation used, it additionally contains 3 mg to 200 mg of tryptophan (pure or measured as the weight of the tryptophan in compounds thereof) per gram contained of the basic preparation.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment of the preparation used, it additionally contains 0.1 g to 4 g of arginine (pure or measured as the weight of the arginine compounds thereof) per gram contained of the basic preparation.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment of the preparation used, it additionally contains 0.1 g to 4 g of glutamine (pure or measured as the weight of the glutamine in compounds thereof) per gram contained of the basic preparation.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the preparation used, it additionally contains 3 g to 30 g of protein in the form of proteins, peptides, amino acids or a mixture thereof per gram of the basic preparation in order to provide sufficient proteins for tissue regeneration. Wound healing is a continuous process. However, nutrient supply only occurs during meals or during ingestion of the preparation and thus occurs in a discontinuous manner. This embodiment reduces the risk of phases of reduced protein availability that occur between meals in the case of patients with existing wounds because of their increased protein requirements, which phases can lead to delays in the complex wound healing process and thereby increase the risk of complications, for example due to infections. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the protein of the preparation used therefore consists of a mixture of

[0023] a. protein sources of slow availability for the body from the family of whey proteins (e.g., casein), hen's egg proteins (whole egg or egg white) or plant proteins (e.g., soy or pea proteins) having a protein absorption rate of less than 7 g/h and

[0024] b. protein sources of rapid availability from the family of whey proteins (e.g., whey), partially predigested proteins (yeast hydrolysates or other protein hydrolysates) or peptides or amino acids having a protein absorption rate of more than 7 g/h.

[0025] In a very particularly preferred embodiment, the proportion of the protein sources of slow availability is between 50% and 90% of the total protein proportion of the preparation used.

[0026] Although the amino acids alanine, glycine and cysteine can be synthesized by the body, supplementation proves to be advantageous in combination with the preparation used that is described here. Therefore, in a further preferred embodiment, what are additionally added to the protein contained in the preparation used are, in each case, between 0.1 mg and 10 g of said amino acids per gram of the basic preparation contained-individually or in any combination, as pure amino acid or as compound having a high proportion of the amino acid. Here, peptides are an example. The amounts of said amino acids additionally added are to be considered independently of one another. Particular preference is given to enrichment of all three amino acids.

[0027] In another particularly preferred embodiment, the preparation used is intended for preventing wounds or wound healing complications before a wound forms or for avoiding recurrences and therefore does not require a separate addition of protein.

[0028] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the preparation used contains between 0.1 and 3 g of sources of omega-3-rich fatty acids per gram of the basic preparation contained. Firstly, they serve as an alternative energy source in order to avoid the metabolism of contained proteins for energy generation. In contrast to a high carbohydrate content, the risk of an excessive rise in the blood sugar level in diabetics is avoided at the same time. Secondly, the fatty acids have a generally positive influence on the patients' cardiovascular situation and support the local wound healing processes in a systemic manner by improvement of the flow properties of the blood, vascular dilations and their anti-inflammatory effect. Said sources of omega-3-rich fatty acids can be individual or multiple substances from the family of vegetable oils (e.g., linseed oil, . . . ), fish oils (e.g., oils prepared from herring, mackerel, salmon or sardine), algae preparations or even isolated fatty acids. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it contains between 50 and 750 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and between 50 and 750 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per gram of the underlying basic preparation, used directly as pure substance or as constituent of the aforementioned fatty acid sources.

[0029] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the preparation used contains between 0.5 and 5 g of one or more blood sugar-regulating substances per gram of the basic preparation contained. The substances can be, for example, substances from the family of cyclodextrins, b-glucans or modified methylcelluloses (e.g., hydroxypropylmethylcellulose or HPMC for short). Many elderly patients with relatively large wounds suffer from diabetes mellitus. Normal control of the blood sugar level is disrupted in said patients. With all treatment options, what occurs in said patients after a meal is a rise in the blood sugar level to a value which can significantly disrupt or interrupt the normal wound healing processes. The addition described can delay the intestinal absorption of sugars and, in the case of diabetics, reduce the blood sugar peaks after a meal that are detrimental to wound healing. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the mass fraction of said substances is between 5% and 20% of the total mass of the preparation for one portion.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the oral intake of the preparation used is offered in a directly ingestible form, for example in the form of a tablet or capsule or a combination thereof.

[0031] In a further preferred embodiment of the preparation used, it is made ready before oral ingestion, for example by mixing with solid or liquid foodstuffs, and thus ingested. In the context of this invention, what is explicitly also to be regarded as a liquid foodstuff is any form of beverage. This embodiment can be, for example, in the form of tablets, capsules, granules or a combination thereof.

[0032] In a further advantageous embodiment, the preparation used is offered in the form of two separate components. The first component substantially contains the aforementioned constituents which support the wound healing processes. The second component is offered separately and is used to give the finished preparation additional flavors and to thus quickly offer different flavors. However, the use of the second component does not preclude the use of flavorings in the first component. In a further advantageous embodiment, the two components have a pronounced color contrast, the intention of this being to stimulate the patients' appetite.

[0033] All of the above-described embodiments of the preparation used according to the invention can contain additional carbohydrate or fiber sources and also other auxiliaries and flavorings. They are not subject matter of this invention, but their presence or absence in the preparation does not in any way prevent the claims presented here from being fulfilled.