Vitamins for Drinkers: Essential Supplements To Take After Drinking
Milk thistle is an herb related to daisies and ragweed that is sometimes used to treat liver damage, including alcoholic liver disease. Experts think it might work by protecting the liver and lowering specific proteins like collagen produced by the body. That said, little information is available about its use during alcohol withdrawal. Additionally, maintaining a balanced and varied diet is key to ensuring that you receive a wide range of essential nutrients during alcohol recovery.
- Since many alcoholics are in denial about their problem, doctors may ask the patient’s permission to speak with family and friends as well.
- It may be helpful to increase your intake of vitamins such as B1, B12, C, and E, which can assist in liver recovery and reduce alcohol-induced oxidative stress.
- Foods rich in folic acid include leafy greens, beans, and fortified grains.
- Other key nutrients for those in recovery include a vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and magnesium, which can help improve overall health and better support the treatment process.
Understanding and Preventing Related Health Issues
- Through a comprehensive approach that encompasses addiction medicine, mental health, and behavioral therapies, you can achieve lasting recovery from alcohol use disorder and enjoy a healthier, happier future.
- Some of the alcohol that is ingested orally does not enter the systemic circulation but may be oxidized in the stomach by ADH and their isoforms.
- Ethanol metabolism produces an alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, or cirrhosis [13,14].
- That means that the body gets less thiamine and also has greater difficulty absorbing and utilizing what it gets of the vitamin.
Signs of vitamin B deficiency in drinkers may include fatigue, weakness, neurological issues like tingling or numbness, memory problems, and mood disturbances. Severe deficiency can lead to conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, characterized https://ecosoberhouse.com/ by confusion, coordination problems, and memory loss. Mixing alcohol and supplements does not cause direct interactions but can lead to significant vitamin deficiencies. Vitamin C can ease withdrawal by increasing the alcohol clearance rate9.
Nutrition for Recovering Alcoholics
Many holistic healers believe there is a link between sugar and alcoholism. That is, when alcohol is consumed there is an initial energy rush, followed by a severe drop in energy due to dropping sugar levels (blood glucose levels). This deficiency can lead to problems, such as slow wound healing, softening of the bones, skin problems, decreased blood clotting, and neurological damage. Therefore, doctors may recommend nutrient supplementation as part of an individual’s detoxification and recovery process.
Addiction Info
Since the Km of most ADH isozymes for ethanol is low (about 1 mM), ADH is saturated at low concentrations of alcohol, and the MEOS system is activated [18]. In addition, mixing these substances can cause liver strain and gastrointestinal distress. Consult your doctor about drinking and any medications or supplements you are currently taking. While glutamine supplements won’t cure alcohol-related liver disease, they can detoxify the liver to remove excess ammonia11. Glutamine can also modulate cognitive processes affected by alcohol use.
- I help people in recovery heal their bodies and minds so they can learn to love sober life—not just survive it.
- Another research found that individuals with severe chronic liver disease had high vitamin B12 plasma levels but decreased vitamin B9 plasma levels [53].
- Supplements can help reduce alcohol cravings by addressing nutritional deficiencies, regulating neurotransmitters, and providing antioxidant support, among other mechanisms.
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 vitamins for recovering alcoholics syndrome, which permanently damages the brain. Nutritional supplements are becoming more and more popular in the United States. You may be tempted to indulge in junk food while you’re recovering from addiction. But this can actually hinder your recovery process and make it more difficult for you to stay clean.
Can supplements interact with other medications or treatments used for alcohol addiction?
Substance misuse can have many long-term effects on health and nutrition. Substances vary in their effects, but many of them disrupt physiological functioning and impair the body’s ability to receive proper nourishment. There hasn’t been a lot of research on the role of nutritional therapy in recovery from substance use yet.
- B-vitamin deficiencies are common in those who struggle with alcohol.
- A good first step is to speak with a primary care physician who can provide treatment referrals and medications.
- Severe deficiency, called scurvy, may result in anemia, bruising, and dental issues.
- Heavy drinkers often lack vitamins B1, B6, B9, and A, eventually leading to nutrient deficiency.
- According to published studies, the activities and functions of important vitamins and minerals including vitamin B9 and vitamins D, C and E are impaired by chronic ethanol consumption [51,79].
- When dealing with alcohol use disorder, a comprehensive treatment plan is essential.
