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Nutritional Therapies for Drug and Alcohol Addictions |
Tony writes, "People with alcohol or drug addiction are usually malnourished and have suffered some damage to the body, such as liver damage. Nutritional therapy attempts to correct any nutritional shortcomings and to help the body eliminate toxins."
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Several supplements can aid in the detoxification process, including zinc and vitamin C. People with alcohol addiction are often deficient in these nutrients anyway, as alcoholism can severely affect a person's judgment about diet and can limit the body's ability to absorb certain nutrients.
Alcohol and drug use may increase the body's load of free radicals, compounds that can damage tissues. Antioxidants are, therefore, recommended for their ability to neutralize free radicals.
Nutrients that are antioxidants include:
beta-carotene
vitamins C and E
zinc
selenium
Alcoholics are almost always deficient in the B vitamins, particularly vitamin B1 (thiamine). In fact, this deficiency is responsible for many of the behaviors exhibited by severe alcoholics. Thiamine levels need to be restored during rehabilitation, which often requires injections of the vitamin at least initially. Other helpful supplements are quite numerous, including calcium and magnesium.
The majority of people with alcohol addiction have a state of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Unanswered is which came first: Did the addiction and resulting malnutrition bring on hypoglycemia, or did a previous state of hypoglycemia set up a type of craving for alcohol?
Either way, to remedy low blood sugar:
1) Significantly increase the intake of unrefined complex carbohydrates, including whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits.
2) Avoid all sugars, from corn syrup to fruit juices.
3) Reduce the intake of refined carbohydrates, such as white bread.
As these dietary changes are made, many practitioners of nutritional therapy recommend adding more protein and supplementing with the B complex, chromium, and vitamin C.
Tony Burris, L.Ac.
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Posted on Nov 09, 2011 17:54pm.
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