For those recovering from alcoholism, incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into their diet can aid in repairing alcohol-induced damage to the brain and promote overall mental well-being. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish like salmon, walnuts, and flax best vitamins for recovering alcoholics seeds. Drug and alcohol misuse and addiction can cause nutritional deficiencies and issues with digestion. Users often have depleted levels of vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids and fats, which can lead to a number of mental and physical problems.

Why Alcohol Abuse Causes Vitamin Deficiency

Taking a vitamin C supplement can help you feel better, which is essential to maintaining your sobriety. Deficiency in vitamin B3, or niacin, is also common in heavy drinkers. Many individuals who drink large quantities of alcohol are deficient in vitamin B1, or thiamine. In fact, this is one of the main vitamins given to people going through medical detox from alcohol. Vitamin B1 deficiency can cause weight loss, irritability, fatigue, and in extreme cases lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, also known as wet brain.

• However, further studies are required to clarify the relationship between alcohol consumption and the intake of vitamin B to be able to provide nutritional management strategies for chronic liver disease.
• N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is a modified form of the amino acid cysteine.
• Several research articles have linked alcohol-mediated oxidative stress and ethanol-inducible CYP2E1 with oxidative stress and their toxicity, both in in vitro and in vivo models.

Vitamin C and Immune System Support

• If your goal is to begin an empowering, holistic adventure to start living your best life beyond booze, check out Total Alcohol Recovery 2.0.
• Quitting drinking is best done with support, along with a solid recovery plan.
• While supplements can help prevent severe withdrawal, they cannot serve as a replacement for medical treatment.
• Neurotransmitters like dopamine are released through the brain’s reward system, and they are essential for reinforcing enjoyable experiences.
• Non-Hispanic white women experience breast cancer more often, per the report, but Black women tend to die more often than white women.

Benzodiazepines activate a neurotransmitter called GABA (gamma amino butyric acid), preventing seizures that can arise as fatal complications of withdrawals. I discovered that quality supplements can significantly alleviate withdrawal. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol.

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While these are not necessarily treatments for alcohol withdrawal, they may help to support general well-being during the detox process and in early recovery. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, may help to reduce the severity of symptoms of alcohol withdrawal during the acute detoxification process. Furthermore, some research suggests magnesium may be beneficial for helping restore healthy liver function and mitigating alcoholic liver disease. However, people who misuse alcohol may eat less food and commonly have deficiencies in zinc, magnesium, selenium, protein, and certain vitamins. Individuals with alcohol use disorder may experience deficiencies in vitamins such as vitamin B.

Drugs & Supplements

To ensure proper nutrition, you can consider including magnesium and zinc supplements in your daily regimen. Other recovery programs have gyms and fitness centers that you can use at designated times. Both regular exercise and a healthy diet can improve mood, increase energy levels, promote self-confidence and self-esteem, repair tissue and organ damage, and alleviate drug or alcohol cravings.

In addition to supplements for alcohol cravings, there are several prescription medications that can help you cut back or quit drinking. Naltrexone can help retrain your brain to be less interested in alcohol over time, while acamprosate, baclofen, gabapentin, and topiramate can all help reduce cravings for alcohol. Learn more about medications for alcohol cravings, and other ways to round out your support system in recovery.

Nutritional Support When Dealing with Withdrawal

Neurotransmitters like dopamine are released through the brain’s reward system, and they are essential for reinforcing enjoyable experiences. This mechanism can be overridden by substance abuse or other behavioral addictions, which result in an aberrant dopamine spike and an excessive sense of reward. It’s good to consider integrating herbal remedies like milk thistle into your recovery plan. Milk thistle is a natural supplement that contains silymarin, a powerful antioxidant known for its liver-protecting properties.

Addiction is a disease, we have addiction medicine that saves lives.

Although small amounts of alcohol may not have a big impact on your nutritional health, many chronic, heavy drinkers struggle with significant nutrient deficiencies. Good nutrition in recovery can also boost your mental health—an important factor in maintaining your sobriety. Treating vitamin deficiencies caused by alcohol use disorder in early recovery can support both physical and mental health. 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. People who live with alcohol use disorder may develop a range of symptoms if they stop drinking suddenly.

Addiction Treatment Programs

Satiety centers within the brain are influenced by the activity of stimulant drugs such as cocaine and amphetamine. Through mechanisms not altogether well-understood, their presence in the brain can send signals that turn down our drive to eat. Once specific deficiencies have been targeted, the nutritionist can plan meals designed to replenish the missing nutrients while also providing the patient with well-balanced amounts of all six essential nutrients.