Consistent, long-term use can lead to severe weight loss and malnutrition. 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 best vitamins for recovering drug addicts to receive proper nourishment. Meth,crack, andcocaineusers often have extremely decreased appetites.
Vitamins and Supplements for Opioid Use Disorder
Good nutrition can be a strong ally on the road to recovery from drug addiction. The right food can not only mitigate drug damage but also help the former abuser feel stronger. It can set off a positive feedback loop to show how ingesting healthy foods – instead of deadly or harmful drugs – will make recovering people feel their best. Alcoholism causes deficiencies in B vitamins as well as vitamins C and A, so supplementing these nutrients is important for recovery. Other nutrients are also useful for minimizing actual withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.
Diagnosing and Treating Eating Disorders
Vitamin C helps detoxify your body while reducing cravings for drugs. It also boosts your immune system, which is likely depressed from drug use. During the healing process from meth addiction, you may be given high doses of vitamin C, but whatever your body can’t use is flushed out of your system. For example, individuals with an addiction to heroin often crave sweets and sugary foods.
- Clinically, Warren has developed a therapeutic skillset that utilizes a strengths-based perspective, Twelve Step philosophies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.
- When detoxing, the body will deplete its reserves for several nutrients and need extra nutritional support.
- Supplements should not replace a healthy diet or lifestyle, but rather complement a balanced approach to recovery.
- The study also suggested that having too little vitamin D might make people more likely to use opioids in the first place.
Sub-Acute Detox Programs
Learn about ourtreatment programsand levels of care foronline rehab. Omega-3 has been linked to a host of benefits from heart health to helping withdepression. While you can get this from eating fish, many people choose to go with fish oil supplements. When choosing a supplement, look for one that has both EPA and DHA. However, do not consume more than3 grams of fish oil per day, as too much can cause blood thinning. If you have a deficiency or can’t meet your zinc needs through your diet alone, consider consulting a healthcare professional about supplements.
One study showed that most people starting treatment for a drug use disorder had signs of a nutrient deficiency. The most common ones were vitamins A, E, C, and amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. The brain’s ability to process the essential amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan is compromised with alcohol use. Tyrosine promotes alertness while tryptophan is key to the production of serotonin – a vital nutrient for proper sleep and the ability to be calm. An amino acid complex is often given not only to reduce withdrawals but also to help the Drug rehabilitation liver regenerate damaged cells and to help with proper brain function. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), inositol and niacinamide may also be used to ease stress and anxiety.
What to Know About Supplements
It’s also been found to lower relapse rates, especially in cocaine and amphetamine addicts. Most people, however, are deficient in magnesium — particularly those experiencing alcohol addiction and withdrawal. Amino acids are essential for boosting brain health in recovering addicts. In fact, amino acid therapy is now a common treatment wherein amino acid solution is typically injected into the bloodstream by trained physicians. However, simply supplementing your diet with amino acids can effectively result in improved mental health. Drug and alcohol consumption interferes with the brain’s ability to regulate neurotransmitters — the body’s chemical messengers.
- Some conditions that may result from malnutrition include heart disease, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even death.
- They’re likely cooked in unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, and aren’t very nutritious.
- But glutathione can reduce oxidative stress and therefore decrease the development of addiction (46).
- Co-occurring disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are common in people with a substance use disorder.
Working with a holistic treatment team is critical to address these imbalances early on in the recovery process. For example, most recovering addicts are deficient in B vitamins, vitamin C and E, calcium, niacin, and magnesium. If you or a loved one is rebounding from substance dependence, please pay special attention to nutrition and proper nourishment. After all, food isn’t only what we’re made of – it’s also what we’re remade of. Alcoholics may derive as much as 50 percent of their daily caloric intake from alcohol, neglecting the foods and nutrients needed for a healthy diet.