A few days ago, we wrote about a small clinical trial in which supplementation with 9 grams of arginine per day accelerated wound healing by a factor of two. Today, we read about another trial, conducted by the same researchers. It shows that supplementation with 4.5 grams of arginine per day produces equally impressive results.

Study
In 2012, Australian researchers at Deakin University conducted a study with 23 patients with pressure ulcers. This means they had wounds caused by continuously lying in the same position.

The Australians gave half of the subjects a supplement that provided 9 grams of arginine daily. The other half received a supplement with only 4.5 grams of arginine. In all respects, the subjects were similar.

The researchers used a supplement marketed as Arginaid, a product of Nestle Health Science. Nestle did not sponsor the study.

Arginaid is a powdered supplement packaged in sachets. Users tear open the sachets, dissolve the powder in a glass of water, and then drink it.

Each sachet contains 4.5 grams of arginine, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 155 milligrams of vitamin C, and 40 milligrams of vitamin E. Subjects in one group used one sachet per day, while the other group used two sachets.

Results
The researchers followed the subjects for three weeks. During this period, the wounds in both groups healed almost equally well.

Based on the measured progression, the researchers estimated that the wounds of the average subject in the 4.5 gram group could heal in 8.7 weeks. In the other group, this would happen in 8.3 weeks. This difference was not statistically significant.

Diet was a factor in both groups. The wounds of malnourished subjects healed more slowly than those of subjects with poor nutrition. This is shown in the figure above.