Read on to learn more about alcohol withdrawal syndrome, including the signs, symptoms, and detoxification process. Substance abuse disorders often co-occur with other mental and behavioral health issues, including eating disorders. Dual diagnosis treatment centers can diagnose and treat both the eating disorder and the substance abuse disorder with integrated programs. Other recovery programs have gyms and fitness centers that you can use at designated times.

Vitamins and nutrients help the body perform countless vital functions. They also aid in balancing brain chemistry, which leads to mood stabilization and decreased alcohol cravings. Vitamins and minerals are also important during vitamins for recovering alcoholics detox because alcohol addiction leads to many nutrient deficiencies. Heavy drinking makes it harder for your organs to work the way they’re supposed to, especially your stomach lining, pancreas, intestines, and liver.

What Are the Most Important Vitamins to Take for Alcohol Use Disorder?

Magnesium can also help with twitches and cramps that are a natural part of alcohol withdrawal. When alcohol dependence leads to deficiencies, they can have a compounding effect on the substance use problem. Your brain needs carbs to make the chemical messenger serotonin. That’s what evens out your moods, helps you sleep better, and soothes the urge for alcohol.

Other research shows that thorough nutrition education can improve the odds that you’ll still be sober after 3 months. This makes you less hungry for food, so there’s a higher chance you’ll skip meals or choose foods that are low in nutrients. The tricky part is that the benefits likely differ based on several variables, such as a person’s usual eating habits, current microbiota, and ethnicity. McClain commonly recommends a daily dose of 220 milligrams (mg) of zinc sulfate (which contains 50 mg of zinc) for his patients who have an alcohol addiction. Taking it with a meal helps avoid potential side effects of abdominal pain and nausea. Zinc deficiency can show up as a reduced sense of taste and smell, crusty skin sores on the face, and poor night vision.

Vitamin Therapy for PTSD

Alcohol scrambles the hormones that regulate our biological clocks, which may be why a hangover can feel like jet lag, and vice versa. Alcohol can also trigger migraines, so some people may think they’re hung over when it’s really an alcohol-induced migraine they’re suffering. Supplements can be restorative, and also serve as a preventative measure to reduce the risk of severe issues, such as seizures and delirium, developing during detox. Stimulant use (such as crack, cocaine, and methamphetamine) reduces appetite, and leads to weight loss and poor nutrition.

Loss of appetite is one of the signs of liver diseases like cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. If you’re currently dealing with AUD, it’s recommended https://ecosoberhouse.com/ that you talk with a healthcare professional about getting help. They can provide the necessary support and guidance throughout your recovery.

Substance use recovery and diet

You can see a counselor to learn how to manage stress, join a support group to talk to others who understand what you’re going through, and get regular exercise to stay healthy and lower anxiety. If you’re new to recovery, your body may not be used to eating or digesting much. You’ll probably need lots of small, healthy meals throughout the day. Switch up your meals by eating a range of foods from the groups you need. It may leave you anxious, out of sorts, and make it hard to sleep. If you have alcohol use disorder (severe problem drinking that affects about 15 million people in the U.S.), these feelings can make it even harder to make good choices when it comes to both food and alcohol.

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No amount of positive thinking, group therapy, or spiritual guidance can help when the cause of your problem is physiological. A good first step is to speak with a primary care physician who can provide treatment referrals and medications. They can also evaluate the person’s drinking patterns and overall health and work together to craft a treatment plan. Alcohol inhibits its absorption by destroying the cells lining the stomach and intestines that allow its absorption as well as other vital nutrients. Typically, a person must complete detoxification before they’re ready for nutritional therapy. Depending on the drug, the person can be treated with medication to ease these symptoms.

• In addition to supplements for alcohol cravings, there are several prescription medications that can help you cut back or quit drinking.
• Niacin, or vitamin B3, can also be found in pork, as well as in fortified cereals, salmon, and swordfish.
• Therefore, long-term alcohol use leads to lower nutrient consumption and can affect how the body uses this limited supply of nutrients.
• It is also important to note that SAM inhibits MTHFR while promoting CBS expression.

When a person feels better, they are less likely to start using alcohol and drugs again. Because balanced nutrition helps improve mood and health, it is important to encourage a healthy diet in a person recovering from alcohol and other drug problems. So, you eventually end up with very low function of dopamine,” Blum said. Sodas and similar drinks (whether caffeinated and sweetened with sugar or not) are often off-limits at holistic treatment centers.