Nutritional Support For Alcoholism

If you suffer from alcoholism, your body begins to rely on alcohol which will cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms when you do not drink. Alcoholism takes a significant toll on the body and its functions. It can lead to several nutritional problems, resulting in a need for nutritional support through vitamin therapy and dietary changes.

Identification

Certain factors increase your risk for alcoholism. If you are a woman, drinking 12 or more alcoholic beverages each week increases your risk; if you are a man, drinking 15 or more alcoholic beverages each week increases your risk, according to MedlinePlus. Alcoholism can cause behavioral symptoms, such as changes in your physical appearance and what activities you participate in. If you are an alcoholic, you have problems controlling how much you drink. This dependence on alcohol can also lead to serious health consequences, such as damage to your liver.

Nutritional Issues

Consuming large amounts of alcohol can affect how your body absorbs nutrients, which can lead to nutritional issues. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that alcoholism results in malnutrition by causing malabsorption by the stomach and intestine and problems with the liver using nutrients you get through your food. As an alcoholic, you may not be eating a well-rounded diet that contains all the nutrients you need, which can also lead to malnutrition.

Effects

Deficits in certain nutrients due to your alcoholism can lead to serious conditions. For example, a deficit in vitamin B-1, or thiamine, can result in a neurological condition called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. In the first half of the condition, Wernicke's encephalopathy, you experience confusion, double vision and tremors in your legs. In the second half of the condition, Korsakoff syndrome, you have problems with remembering new information and recalling stored information. A deficiency in vitamin A can result in eye problems, such as night blindness, notes the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Malnutrition may also affect your liver's function.

Vitamin Therapy

If your doctor determines that you have a deficiency in a vitamin, she may put you on a vitamin therapy. Depending on your specific deficiency, you may need supplements of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-2 or vitamin B-1. The University of Michigan Health System notes that 100 mg of B-complex vitamins taken daily, which contains multiple B vitamins, may benefit alcoholics with deficiencies, and adds that activated vitamin B-3 given as an injection may help you quit drinking. But vitamin therapy is not without its issues. For example, large amounts of certain vitamins, such as vitamin A, may endanger your health. If you continue to drink, the alcohol can increase the toxicity of vitamin A, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplements for alcoholism.

Considerations

To reap the most benefits from nutritional support for alcoholism, you should quit drinking. Alcohol rehabilitation programs can help you discontinue your use of alcohol. Continuing to drink while using dietary supplements will inhibit how well your body can absorb them. Besides vitamin therapy, you may also consider changes in your diet or other supplements. The University of Michigan Health System notes that more than 81 percent of alcoholics who ate a diet that eliminated peanut butter, junk food, caffeine and dairy products and added in wheat germ and fruit became sober. You may take amino acid supplements such as glutathione, carnitine and glutamine, which may help lower your cravings for alcohol, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Before starting any dietary supplements for alcoholism, talk to your doctor.