NUTRITION AND DIET DURING ALCOHOL ADDICTION TREATMENT
People with alcohol addiction have poor nutrition. Alcohol has high amount of calories, but contains no nutritive value. For this reason, heavy drinkers do not eat the right food because they tend to feel full due to high calories of alcohol.
Those with booze drinking most of the time lack vitamins A, B complex, and C; carnitine; folic acid; selenium, magnesium and zinc. They are also deficient in fatty acids and antioxidants.
Alcohol and Inadequate Nutrition:
Alcohol hinders nutrient absorption leading to nutrient deficiencies. Drinking is associated with vomiting that contributes to nutrient depletion. Another factor leading alcoholics to have poor nutrition is their lifestyle.
Eating is no longer a part of their basic needs. People with alcohol addiction take alcohol as their food. Roughly 50 percent of the daily calorie intake of heavy drinkers is derived from alcohol.
Given the nutritional status of recovering alcoholics, proper nutrition becomes one of the important parts of their therapy. Scientific studies have shown that proper nutrition plays great role in the recovery of past alcoholics by making them feel better physically and psychologically.
Macro- and micronutrient deficiencies can cause low energy, anxiety and depression that are all triggers for a person to relapse. In order to know the effect of alcohol addiction in the body, it is good to understand how deficiency of nutrients impacts the body functions.
Complications of Alcoholism:
Lack of B vitamins (B1, B6, and folic acid) leads to neurological problems and anemia. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is the disease associated with lack of B6. Alcohol damages two major organs: the liver and the pancreas that are crucial for toxin removal and blood sugar regulation.
Alcoholism can also lead to various diseases such as high blood pressure; diabetes; seizures; permanent liver damage (or cirrhosis); severe malnutrition; and shortened life expectancy.
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and Nutrition Education:
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for alcoholics should focus on the following goals in order to help past alcoholics through their recovery.
- Stabilize the mood and lessen the stress
- Nourish and heal the body that is damaged by alcohol
- Treat other medical conditions (co-occuring)
- Reduce alcohol and drug cravings
- Encourage the individual to have a healthy lifestyle
Treatment and Diet for Recovering Alcoholics:
The nutritional therapy of people recovering from alcohol addiction is aimed at reversing malnutrition; maintain a healthy lifestyle; prevent the development of alcoholic liver illnesses; and develop coping skills to prevent relapse. For malnourished patients, they are given moderate protein and high carboydrate diet.
They should have a diet with sources of fat such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to help manage cirrhosis, hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Amino acid taurine is prescribed to patients to help in their recovery after the detox period.
Thiamine supplement is given to patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome (wet brain) due to lack of thiamine. When the previous alcoholic is placed in tube feeding, glutamine-enriched formulas are not given because it increases the ammonia levels
.