In the end, addiction is a complex phenomenon, and comprehending its underlying causes necessitates taking into account a range of genetic, neurological, psychological, and environmental variables. A nutritionist can help you address specific dietary needs, establish regular meal patterns, achieve portion control and help meet many other important nutritional needs. Whole grains, such as oats, brown https://ecosoberhouse.com/ rice and quinoa, are essential to a recovery diet as they are rich in B vitamins and fiber. B vitamins are important in detoxification and energy production. Alcohol depletes these vitamins, so replenishing them is key to recovery. Not only can it be a good time to regain control over your diet, but it will help your body to achieve optimal function as it goes through the difficulties of withdrawal.
- She has a master’s degree in clinical social work and a Ph.D. in health psychology.
- I discovered that quality supplements can significantly alleviate withdrawal.
- However, these supplements may not provide enough vitamin B1, which is essential for preventing a condition called Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE), a medical emergency.
- Moreover, low magnesium decreases muscle movement, and low iron can lead to anemia.
- In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about using nutrition to your benefit as you heal from addiction.
Thiamine deficiency is particularly dangerous, as it increases the likelihood of developing neurological conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about using nutrition to your benefit as you heal from addiction. Our representatives work for a treatment center and will discuss whether their facility may be an option for you. Calls from your area will be answered by Legacy Healing Center, and network of treatment centers who can be found here Any treatment center receiving calls from the site is a paid advertiser.
Dietary Supplements for Alcoholism Recovery
The responses to comments on fitrecovery.com are designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition. Most people use a combination of vitamins to help stabilize the brain and body while quitting drinking. While there is no single compound that is as effective as multi-nutrient blends, a good place to start is BR Restore, which covers many bases of nutrient repair. Signs of liver damage include fatigue, swelling or pain in the upper right abdomen, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the eyes and fingernails. Vitamins like milk thistle have been shown to protect the liver.
Previous research has linked alterations in methionine metabolism to ethanol-induced alcoholic liver damage [113,114,115]. Due to ROS being formed naturally, cells have evolved several enzymatic and nonenzymatic ways to protect them [105,106]. In effect, ethanol or its derivatives impairs several of these defensive mechanisms, which could vitamins for recovering alcoholics change the redox status, causing the antioxidant cell defenses to be compromised [107]. Nonenzymatic barriers, such as GSH and vitamins, play a key role in several cellular processes. Reduced glutathione (GSH) and vitamins are probably the most important nonenzymatic antioxidants and participate in a wide range of cellular functions.
Foods for Your Brain
Due to decreased hepatic storage, vitamin B9 and vitamin B12 deficiencies can develop quickly in chronic liver illness. However, alcohol consumption affects the metabolism of homocysteine (tHcy) because the enzyme cofactor for the conversion of tHcy to methionine is vitamin B12. Decreased levels of vitamin B12 levels were shown to be adversely connected with tHcy and significantly linked with indicators of alcohol-related liver impairment in recent research [52]. Another research found that individuals with severe chronic liver disease had high vitamin B12 plasma levels but decreased vitamin B9 plasma levels [53]. Conversely, Gibson et al. [54] has shown that two weeks of moderate consumption of alcohol (i.e., red wine, or vodka) increased tHcy and reduced the statuses of both vitamin B9 and B12. In addition, other studies have studied vitamin B status as well [55,56,57].
Another issue is opioid-induced constipation, which can become severe over time. As the condition worsens, appetite suppression increases and eating can become painful. Stopping opioid abuse and increasing fiber intake is the only way to get back on track after opioids have hijacked your nutrition. Through alcohol intoxication, the CYP2E1-dependent system and the microsomal respiratory chain are the principal sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the hepatocytes. Because of its propensity to metabolize and activate a variety of hepatotoxic substrates in the liver, CYP2E1 is of particular interest.
How Vitamins Can Help Recovery from Alcohol Abuse
Moreover, low magnesium decreases muscle movement, and low iron can lead to anemia. Did you know that heavy drinking can lead to big shortages in the nutrients you get? Research shows that drinking a lot over a long time — as in alcohol use disorder — often leads to poor nutrition.
- While battling addiction, vitamins and nutrition are typically not prioritized.
- Replenishing vitamins and nutrients in a body depleted by alcoholism can help boost energy levels and diminish unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, helping greatly with the recovery process.
- As with many other OTC herbal supplements, there’s little convincing evidence that the aforementioned supplements are clinically effective treatments of alcohol dependency.
- It’s difficult to identify definitively the benefits of the treatment, but for Shiling the “probable consequences” of thiamine deficiency have been on display during his seven years as a CeDAR nurse.
- Chronic alcohol intake can lead to diminished calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc levels.
Balancing your protein intake with other nutrients is important for a balanced diet during recovery. Shiling was eager to work on the problem because Wernicke encephalopathy is completely reversible once patients receive IV thiamine. New research shows treatment is beneficial even if patients have just one symptom. Most importantly, the treatment saves brain function and can help to stave off the even more serious Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which permanently damages the brain.
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