Optimizing Recovery
Building a Recovery Supplement Stack
A simple, practical shopping list for the nutrients in the Nutrition for Healing guide.
No single commercial product covers everything in the Nutrition for Healing guide. The easiest path is one “core” recovery product plus three cheap, well-studied additions.
Step 1 — Pick One Core Product
Juven (Abbott) — ~$4.50–5.30/day
Arginine, glutamine, HMB, collagen peptides, vitamin C, B12, zinc. Best product-specific healing evidence (collagen synthesis at 2 weeks).
Mend Repair & Recover: Surgery — ~$6.60–7.80/day
Whey protein, leucine, glutamine, HMB, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, iron. Broader micronutrient coverage; NSF Certified for Sport.
Either is a reasonable default. Take exactly as labeled — typically 2 servings/day for 2–4 weeks around the procedure.
Step 2 — Add Three Inexpensive Essentials
- Standard daily multivitamin/mineral — any reputable brand. ~$0.10–0.30/day.
- Omega-3 fish oil, 1–2 g combined EPA/DHA daily. ~$0.20–0.40/day.
- Creatine monohydrate, 3–5 g/day, plain/unflavored — the best-evidenced and cheapest addition on this list. ~$0.10–0.20/day.
Estimated Total Daily Cost
- Juven-based stack: roughly $5.00–6.20/day
- Mend-based stack: roughly $7.00–8.70/day
Lion's Mane and a Mediterranean/MIND-style eating pattern remain optional, lower-priority add-ons — not necessary for a complete stack, but reasonable for patients who ask specifically about cognition.
General education only — not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Confirm supplement choices don't interact with medications, especially anticoagulants.