Using Nutrition to Combat Alcohol Abuse & Dependence: A Primer


By Erika Dworkin, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition® "...[A]lcoholism is a complex genetic-


biochemical disorder more closely related to diabetes or to sugar metabolic syndrome than to any behavioral or psychological disorder. ...[M]alnutrition is well-known to physicians treating alcoholics, but they nearly always assume that malnutrition is a simple, predictable consequence of


heavy drinking, not a complex, contribut- ing cause of alcohol addiction. Nutrition is certainly not seen as the effective treat- ment it is...[V]itamins and other nutritional factors play a potent role in countering the compulsion to drink."


~ The Vitamin Cure for Alcoholism, Abraham Hoffer, MD, PhD, and Andrew W. Saul, PhD,


Foreword by Donald R. Davis, PhD (2009)


you have been diagnosed with alcohol dependence (alcoholism, or alcohol use disorder/AUD), a disabling addictive dis- ease marked by your inability to cut down or stop drinking voluntarily. Or, maybe you “just” abuse alcohol and you could change your behavior if you so chose. Combating either form of alcohol overuse (AO) is a complex, long term process re- quiring personal commitment, emotional and social support and, often, professional guidance. The nutrition guidelines below can give you some of the crucial support you need to get and stay sober.


H 34 Natural Nutmeg - March 2020


ave you or your loved ones been concerned about your excessive consumption of alcohol? Perhaps


Biochemistry, Causes, Symptoms & Consequences of AO


While science has not firmly estab- lished a single cause of AO; physiological, psychological, and social factors are all thought to contribute. Research indicates that genetics may be the most important factor in alcoholism. Women, however, tend to develop alcohol-related disease at a lower quantity of intake than men.


Alcoholics and non-alcoholics process alcohol differently. In the liver, alcohol is converted to highly toxic, carcinogenic acetaldehyde. Normally, the liver quickly changes it to non-toxic acetic acid, which is then excreted as carbon dioxide and water. In alcoholics, the acet- aldehyde is produced at twice the normal rate, but accumulates in the liver because its conversion to acetic acid takes twice as long. This accumulation hinders the liver’s capacity to absorb and use health sup- porting nutrients. The acetaldehyde also damages the body by traveling to both the heart muscle (where it inhibits its ability to create proteins), and the brain (where it blocks the ability of neurotransmitters to generate normal feelings, behavior, and memory). The unused neurotransmit- ters then combine with the acetaldehyde to form addictive, psychoactive THIQs, substances similar to opiates that dis- place endorphins (hormones that activate the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect) and interfere with their production. As the body’s natural endor-


phin supply declines, greater amounts of alcohol are needed to produce THIQs to produce feelings of well-being. (According to Kenneth Blum, PhD, a retired Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Tex- as, restoring the body’s natural endorphins and neurotransmitters can reduce alcohol cravings and restore normal moods.)


AO can often have physical, emo- tional, spiritual/social, financial, occupa- tional, and even legal consequences, and alcoholism has been found to decrease life expectancy by 10 years. While every person’s experience with AO is as unique as they are, certain symptoms are com- mon, including alcohol and sweets crav- ings, depression, anxiety/fear/paranoia, insomnia, night sweats, allergies, mood instability, low energy, and poor memory/ inability to concentrate/indecision.


Some of the more chronic health condi- tions associated with long term AO include metabolic damage to every cell, blood sugar ailments. severe depression, brain degen- eration and psychiatric disorders, fatty liver degeneration/cirrhosis, heart disease, bone disease, increased incidents of oral cancers, and severe skin conditions.


Depression is both a cause and symp-


tom of AO. Those suffering from depres- sion often self-medicate with alcohol, a known depressant, thus creating a vi- cious cycle of alcohol abuse/dependence and a compounded mood disorder. Joan Mathews Larson, PhD, Director of Health Recovery Center in Minneapolis, notes


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