Substance use recovery and diet: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Al. “Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses.” Indian Journal of Psychiatry, April-June 2008. When I weened off psychiatric medication, I took large doses of vitamin C every day. By large doses, I mean about 10 grams spread throughout the day.

Addiction and Nutrition

After detox you will be able to rebuild your relationship with not only the people around you, but with yourself. Nutrition and addiction — can dietary changes assist with recovery? Reach out if you have any questions on our products or on magnesium for addiction. For many people, magnesium helps with digestion, bloating, stomach pain, IBS & constipation. From the article in Magnesium Research, we can see that low magnesium intake makes individuals more vulnerable to addiction. Magnesium can reduce the release of dopamine during drug use.

Nutritional Deficiencies Caused By Alcohol

We recommend speaking with your doctor about how heavy drinking has impacted your body, and which supplements will be the most safe and useful for you as an individual. Other new habits, such as regular exercise, mindfulness practice, and a healthier diet, can all contribute to boosting your health in recovery. Caring for your whole self as you overcome alcohol addiction is critical to lasting success. Restoring your body’s nutrient levels after quitting alcohol can benefit both your physical and mental well-being.

Should I Take Vitamins While Detoxing?

Research shows that increased anxiety is one of the primary reasons why substance abusers and alcoholics tend to relapse (23, 24). Considering all of this, it’s not too surprising that it has anti-addictive properties and can help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Alcoholism is also responsible for the poor absorption of a multitude of essential vitamins such as vitamin A, D, and E. A lack of vitamin A can lead to liver damage, while a vitamin D deficiency disturbs the body’s absorption of calcium, leading to a loss of bone mass and density.

Substance use recovery and diet

• Addictive drugs like opioids or stimulants also trigger the brain’s reward center, so the body may crave sugar for a fast dopamine release during early recovery.
• Unfortunately, the body doesn’t make this essential fat on its own.
• Long-term alcohol and drug abuse breed more severe symptoms and related conditions, while short-term misuse has less serious side effects.

We know that stress depletes magnesium because the body requires magnesium to regulate our stress response. We have covered the relationship between alcohol abuse and magnesium in-depth in our article, Treating Alcohol Addiction with Magnesium. Since those who use opiates are likely deficient in zinc and it is a very safe supplement, zinc appears vitamins for recovering alcoholics to be an ideal natural remedy to recover from addiction. A 2020 study showed that NAC mitigates acute opioid withdrawal. Researchers believe this is because opioid withdrawal induces oxidative stress and disrupts glutamate and glutathione homeostasis. By administering NAC, researchers were able to normalize glutathione and glutamate.

• Some preliminary research also suggests citicoline could help people with alcohol, cannabis and food addiction (10).
• A study testing whether wild ginseng helps with anxiety and depression-like behaviors in animals going through morphine withdrawal suggested that it might help.
• If you suspect you might have a food intolerance, working with a healthcare professional can help you identify and address these issues.
• The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing.
• While they sometimes do it anyway, companies aren’t allowed to sell them based on claims that they help with opioid use disorder, opioid withdrawal, or any other condition.

What to Eat and What to Avoid While in Recovery

They may be dehydrated and have electrolyte imbalances during these episodes. Returning to a normal diet can be hard if a person has lost a lot of weight. Speak to your physician or mental health provider before adding any herbal supplements for recovery. Your physician will assess your condition, check your blood levels and determine the correct recovery supplements. Choosing the right supplements helps the body function at optimal health. Identifying those that enhance your mood makes it easier to reap the full benefits of recovery.

Preserving Mental Health and Wellness

However, I still recommend at least short-term zinc supplementation to ensure you get enough. It can also lower relapse rates, particularly with cocaine and amphetamine addicts (84). It’s important to test and monitor your Vitamin https://ecosoberhouse.com/ D levels before and after supplementing with it. I take a Vitamin D supplement every day to optimize my levels. NAC is also the precursor to glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant, which can help fight addiction.

Alternately, feeding your brain low-quality foods, or highly processed foods and refined sugar, promotes inflammation and heightened stress. This article explores the relationship between nutrition and mental health and offers insight into the best supplements for recovery. Other substance use disorders can affect other parts of the human body, resulting in multiple types of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

• From the article in Magnesium Research, we can see that low magnesium intake makes individuals more vulnerable to addiction.
• Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) is an acetylated form of the amino acid carnitine.
• Unfortunately, most people don’t consume enough omega-3 fatty acids through their diet.
• Sources of magnesium include leafy greens, avocado, dark chocolate and seeds.
• Certain vitamins can help you achieve overall wellness and manage some of the vitamin deficiencies that can come with a substance use disorder.

DL-phenylalanine is an essential amino acid which plays an important role in the functioning of your nervous system. If your body is deficient in this amino acid, it’s common to experience fatigue, confusion, memory problems, a decrease in alertness, and to have a reduced appetite. D-phenylalanine also slows the breakdown of endorphins, which act as the body’s natural painkiller, prolonging their release into the body. Fiber is important for a healthy digestive tract, especially if you are recovering from an opioid addiction, which commonly causes gastrointestinal side effects during withdrawal. However, this often means eating foods high in fat and sugar. During detox, your focus will be on reducing your caloric intake and finding balance with foods that nourish your body.