Substance use recovery and diet: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

It’s common to begin craving sweets and other unhealthy foods when you give up alcohol. Chronic alcohol use can cause nutrient deficiencies, and fruits and vegetables are one of the best ways to restore these imbalances. They may also help improve your mood, boost your immune system, and even help with alcohol detox.

Alcohol Detox Diet: What Are the Best Foods?

Berries have healthy natural sugars that can satisfy your sugar cravings during detox. They are a perfect companion to your alcohol detox diet since they also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals. You may be wondering what diet has to do with alcohol withdrawal since you may only be thinking about the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and the grueling process altogether.

• They may be dehydrated and have electrolyte imbalances during these episodes.
• You’ll need to be especially careful not to replace alcohol with sugar or caffeine.
• The oldest and best known of these medications is disulfiram — sold under the brand name Antabuse — a compound that was first used in the American rubber industry.
• If you don’t feel hungry, think about taking nutritional supplements.
• When someone stops drinking, their dopamine and serotonin levels are initially depleted, so it’s common for them to seek out other sources of comfort and pleasure to compensate.
• If your provider suspects that you have a problem with alcohol, you may be referred to a mental health provider.

Vitamins & Supplements for Alcohol Recovery

• It also affects your body’s ability to absorb B vitamins and folic acid.
• They’ll ask about your health history, do a physical exam, and run some blood tests.
• They may also experience frequent headaches and feel short of breath.
• Veggies, fruits, fruit juices, nuts, beans, and peas naturally have folate.
• They can also provide several important nutrients often deficient in those with alcohol addiction.

The most common dietary deficiencies in alcoholics are vitamin B6, thiamine and folic acid. These vital nutrients aid in red blood-cell production and nutrient absorption. During detoxification, or the immediate period following alcohol withdrawal, a doctor should monitor these levels and decide if supplementation is necessary to preserve healthy bodily function. He will also screen for protein, iron and electrolytes to determine what, if any, lasting damage has been done to the liver. A balanced diet is essential to replenish nutrients and restore physical and mental health during a detox.

What’s diet got to do with alcohol addiction recovery?

• Chronic heavy drinking impairs gut health and nutrient absorption1, so many chronic drinkers are depleted of vitamins A, B, C and E, as well as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc.
• The most common deficiencies are of the B vitamins (B1, B6, and folic acid).
• Call us today to speak with a Recovery Advocate for free about your treatment options.

Alcohol withdrawal can begin within hours of ending a drinking session. Early in recovery, your body will need to readjust to the feeling of hunger. At first, it may think hunger pangs are a desire to drink alcohol.

Nourish With Vitamins and Minerals

Withdrawal from alcohol is different for everyone, and it can last anywhere from a few days to an entire week. The alcohol detox stage (when your body is ridding itself entirely of alcohol) can last even alcohol recovery diet longer, continuing for a few weeks after withdrawal ends. Fortunately, eating a healthy, nutrient-rich diet can help you reduce many of the uncomfortable effects related to alcohol withdrawal and detox.

Eating junk food can cause a host of health problems, including weight gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. Eating these healthy foods makes sure you have a balanced and supportive diet, helping your recovery journey with kindness and holistic well-being. Secondly, addiction influences habits such as sporadic eating and poor nutrition that impair the body. You’ll need to be especially careful not to replace alcohol with sugar or caffeine.

Alcohol Detox Foods

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