Substance abuse can occur when you take too much of illegal or legal drugs, including over-the-counter medications and substances such as tobacco or alcohol. Nutritional deficiencies can occur for a number of different reasons if you abuse drugs or alcohol, depending on the substance. Smokers, for example, often have vitamin C deficiency and need to increase their intake to maintain optimal levels. People who drink too much often replace food in the diet with alcohol, which lacks vitamins and minerals. Either the substance itself or the lifestyle changes that come with use can affect your nutrition.
Alcohol Effects
Alcohol abuse can have a profound effect on nutrition; alcoholism is one of the most common causes of nutritional deficiency in the United States, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Alcohol interferes with absorption of B-complex vitamins. Vitamin-related malnutrition can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a disorder characterized by poor muscle coordination, impaired memory and thought processes, and nerve damage. Chronic alcohol use can also damage the lining of the stomach and intestine, decreasing their ability to absorb food. The liver loses its ability to manufacture vitamin D, which affects calcium absorption.
Tobacco Effects
If you smoke, you may worry more about the effects on your lungs than on your nutrition, but smoking affects nutrition in several ways. Smoking increases your metabolic rate, which burns more calories, but smoking is an extremely unhealthy way to keep your weight down. Although smokers have a lower body mass index on average than nonsmokers, they tend to gain weight around the waist, which presents additional risks for heart disease. Smoking also impairs the taste of food, so smokers may not eat as much. In addition to vitamin C depletion, smoking can also cause deficiencies in your zinc, calcium, vitamin E, beta-carotene and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid levels.
Opiate Effects
Heroin and other opiates can also severely affect your nutritional status. Opiates addicts often suffer from intestinal upsets, such as constipation, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, that may affect their appetite. Electrolyte imbalances of sodium or potassium can occur. High-fiber foods and small, frequent meals may help improve nutrient absorption.
Cocaine
People who abuse cocaine often suffer from severe malnutrition because they don't eat. Cocaine takes away your appetite, revs up your metabolic rate and interferes with sleep, so that cocaine addicts often stay awake for long periods of time, burning more calories. Dehydration can lead to dangerous electrolyte imbalances.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Diet and Substance Abuse Recovery
- "Understanding Nutrition;" Ellie Whitney, Ph.D et al.; Wadsworth Publishing; April 2007
- University of Illinois at Chicago; Diet and Sustance Abuse Recovery; Kimberly Tessmer, R.D.; May 2000
- "Food and Nutrition: Australiasia, Asia and the Pacific;" Nutrition and Health Problems Related to Substance Abuse and Medications; Mark Wahlqvist, et al.; Allen and Unwin; 1997
- Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center: Nutrition for Cigarette Smokers
