Alcoholism — symptoms and causes, treatment of alcoholism with herbs, vitamins and supplements
|
Those who, having started drinking, cannot stop, it is better to completely abstain from alcohol. Vitamins, herbs and supplements do not cure alcoholism, but they facilitate a difficult transition to a sober lifestyle.
Alcoholism — what is it
Alcoholism is a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol (ethyl alcohol, or ethanol), which many experts consider a chronic disease, no less serious than diabetes or arterial hypertension. Prolonged consumption of large amounts of ethanol is dangerous for many organs, primarily the liver, pancreas, intestines and brain. Alcohol is high in calories and interrupts appetite, as a result, the body does not receive many useful substances contained in healthy food.
Causes of alcoholism
Alcohol is a traditional companion of feasts. Why some people, having started drinking, can't stop, remains a mystery. In addition to psychological prerequisites, some innate biochemical mechanisms are important. Children of alcoholics often follow in the footsteps of their parents, even if they are brought up in non-drinking foster families.
Symptoms of alcoholism
• Constant search for an opportunity to drink: regular «busting» of alcohol; giving up family responsibilities, work, and low-drinking friends for alcohol.
• The development of tolerance to alcohol (the need for increasingly large doses to achieve the usual effect).
• Unwillingness to acknowledge the problem and the need to drink less.
• Withdrawal syndrome (tremor, hallucinations, delirium tremens).
| When a doctor is needed |
| • If you drink alcohol before breakfast. • If you drink at least two days in a row. • If, after drinking, you lose consciousness or cannot stand on your feet. • If drinking is the only way to combat stress and boredom. • If drinking interferes with your work and personal life. • Attention! If you suffer from any disease, consult your doctor before taking any supplements. |
Treatment of alcoholism with vitamins, herbs and biological additives
As mentioned above, medicinal herbs, supplements and vitamins cannot completely cure alcoholism, but taking them can significantly help in the fight against this disease.
The benefits of vitamins and supplements in alcoholism
The supplements recommended in the table in combination with multivitamin-mineral preparations alleviate acute withdrawal syndrome and help in the period of «recovery» from alcoholism. All supplements can be taken simultaneously with traditional medications. Infovitamin.ru wishes you good health!
| Recommended vitamins and supplements for the treatment of alcoholism | |
|---|---|
| Vitamins C/E | Dose: 500 mg of vitamin C twice a day; 250 mg of vitamin E 1 time a day. Note: Vitamin C increases the effectiveness of vitamin E. |
| B vitamins | Dose: 1 tablet or capsule every morning at breakfast. Note: choose a complex containing 50 mcg of B12 and biotin in 1 tablet, 400 mcg of folic acid and 50 mg of all other vitamins of this group. |
| Kudzu | Dose: 150 mg 3 times a day. Note: The extract must contain at least 0.95% daidzein. |
| Milk thistle | Dose: 250 mg of the extract twice a day between meals. Note: extract with at least 70% silymarin. |
| Magnesium | Dose: 200 mg 2 times a day. Caution: contraindicated in patients with kidney disease. |
| Donkey oil | Dose: 500 mg three times a day. Note: you can replace borage oil — 500 mg 1 time a day. |
| Note: first of all, use additives highlighted with in red font. Check if you are not getting the same substances in different supplements. | |
Heavy drinkers often have a «subdeficiency» and poor use of important nutrients by the body, including vitamins B and C, magnesium, chromium and zinc. This is due to both malnutrition and toxic effects of ethanol. It takes several months to eliminate the imbalance. Infovitamin.ru Recommends: vitamin C strengthens the body during withdrawal, weakens its symptoms and promotes the excretion of alcohol from tissues. It acts synergistically with vitamin E, i. e. on the principle of mutual efficiency improvement. B vitamins and the amino acid glutamine, as well as kudzu extract, apparently weaken the craving for alcohol. Milk thistle, the amino acid N-acetylcysteine and phosphatidylcholine (500 mg three times a day) strengthen the liver and help cleanse the body of toxins.
|
Chrome helps with the breakdown caused by the typical alcoholics hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Zinc and magnesium play an essential role in the metabolism of the body. Donkey oil contains gamma-linolenic acid, which stimulates the production of prostaglandin E by the brain. It suppresses the development of some withdrawal symptoms, in particular delirium tremens and depression, helps protect the liver and nervous system.
| For your information |
| • Reducing cravings for alcohol with dietary supplements is usually safer than classical medications, which too often give side effects. |
What else can be done with alcoholism
• Join a mutual support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Acupuncture can reduce cravings for alcohol.
| Latest news |
| • It is scientifically proven that kudzu suppresses cravings for alcohol. In experiments on monkeys, this plant reduced the amount of alcohol consumed by experimental animals by 25%. In other studies, kudzu halved alcohol consumption by golden hamsters who prefer alcohol to plain water and are able to drink a dose equivalent to a case of wine per day. • The hepatoprotective properties of milk thistle are beyond doubt. Among patients with cirrhosis of the liver (a severe consequence of alcoholism) who took the extract of this plant, the survival rate after 4 years was 58%, and in the group of patients with the same diagnosis, but treated with other means — only 39%. |
In the section «Health protection. Diseases — causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention»
•••••••••