Nutritional Recommendations for Heavy Drinkers
How Alcohol Robs the Body of Essential Nutrients
Regular alcohol consumption can wreak havoc on an individual’s overall health and body functioning. Alcohol is known to affect liver functioning and the longer alcohol use disorder persists, the higher the chances of experiencing severe side effects including alcohol addiction. While the damage caused can be severe, there are nutritional recommendations from health experts that can help to repair the damage done by restoring your body to essential nutrients that are often depleted during active alcohol addiction.
As you consume alcohol, your body requires a certain efficient level of nutrients to be able to effectively process alcohol through your liver. The more alcohol that you consume regularly, the harder your liver is working to process and, in turn, is using up the few nutrients that you have within your system to metabolize the alcohol being put within your body. The more your body tries to replenish the nutrients it has been using, it can often lead to further problems for healthy body functioning including mental health concerns, cognitive functioning, and physical motor skills.
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Vitamin Deficiencies Caused by Heavy Drinking
At the height of your alcohol use disorder, your nutritional value and intake become inconsistent and depleted. These vitamins and nutrients are responsible for healthy overall physical and mental functioning and are essential for a healthy, stable life. Heavy drinking often raises concern about vitamin and nutrient absorption as alcohol works to deplete the body of these essential nutrients.
Vitamin deficiencies that often occur during an individual’s heavy drinking periods are:
- Thiamine- (Vitamin B1)- This vitamin is essential for healthy emotional functioning. A deficiency can increase chances of depression or irritability. Patients can also experience an increase in cardiac or neurological disorders
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)- Deficiency can increase feelings of depression
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)- Depletion of this vitamin has been linked to depression, anxiety, fatigue, and apprehension
- Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)- A lack of B6 often affects the formation of neurotransmitters within the body
- Vitamin B12 and folic acid- Depletion of these vitamins is commonly associated with an onset of depression
- Vitamin C- Deficiency often leads to depression or fatigue
- Magnesium- Depletion of this vitamin is often associated with symptoms of confusion, apathy, loss of appetite, insomnia, and loss of physical strength
- Zinc- Lack of Zinc within the body often produces feelings of lethargy, apathy, or loss of appetite.
- Potassium- Depletion of this essential vitamin often causes depression, tearfulness, fatigue, onset of feeling weak.
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Diet Recommendations for Heavy Drinkers
When you are serious about making the change to improve your overall health and repair some of the damage from your alcohol use disorder, there are essential diet recommendations that will help provide natural ways of healing. A healthy balanced diet works to improve your physical functioning and emotional processing while also replenishing your body of the crucial, essential nutrients that you have been lacking during your active alcohol addiction.
The following are some key, important diet recommendations to ensure a healthy recovery into a physically fit and fulfilled life,
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet. It is recommended that patients follow the food pyramid to ensure that you are receiving all essential vitamins and nutrients through a well balanced diet.
- Avoid adding white flour or refined sugar into your daily eating
- Eliminate caffeine and nicotine use.
- Eat foods that are chock full of nutrients. This means to stay with fresh foods and avoid processed or junk food.
- Eating a minimum of 3 meals a day. Your body needs food as fuel to go through your day. It is important to give your body the nutrients and energy it needs to sustain itself each day.
- Drink plenty of water. Your body relies on proper hydration for effective digestion and healthy overall functioning.
Alcohol Rehab Centers that Incorporate Nutrition
When you choose to enter into an alcohol rehab program, it is important that you have the support of the therapeutic, supportive team of counselors and staff that will provide you with holistic and alternative measures to healing. Leaving your alcohol use disorder behind you requires more than just eliminating drinking from your life, it requires a complete lifestyle change that promotes health and wellness. Effective alcohol rehab offers patients opportunities to incorporate a healthy balanced diet that works to restore your body and mind functioning through proper vitamin and nutrient consumption.
Experience True Healing
Our deeply-caring staff and the surrounding natural beauty offer an unparalleled healing experience.