Vitamins and cutaneous wound healing

Background: Vitamins have long been thought to modulate the various stages of wound healing through a variety of proposed mechanisms. Our goal was to investigate relevant studies examining the role of different vitamins in wound healing. Methods: MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar were searched for basic science and clinical studies examining the role of vitamins as adjuncts in wound healing. Results: Mechanisms of action for each of the vitamins are reviewed. It was suggested by many of the studies that the major vitamins A, C, E, D, K, and B have demonstrated utility as adjuncts in wound care in basic science and clinical trials. Conclusion: There is a vast amount of literature on the effect of vitamins on wound healing at the basic science level. Further understanding and controlled trials will help better understand how to utilize vitamins in wound care.