A new animal study suggests that reducing protein intake weeks before a major surgery can affect how the patient's body responds to the stress of an operation.
Harvard researchers fed a group of lab mice either with their regular diet or a protein-free diet for up to two weeks before a surgery which put their kidneys and livers under added stress.
About 40 percent of the mice that received their regular food died after the procedure while the entire protein-free diet group survived the surgery.
Previous animal studies had suggested that a restricted diet might help the body cope with stress and stay healthy during hard situations, said lead author James Mitchell.
Currently surgeons just ask patients not to eat or drink the night before an operation, but the new findings may lead to the development of new preoperational guidelines, which includes a restricted diet.
Researchers expressed hope that their future investigations can help or deter the body's response to stress.
SJM/TE