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Those who want to recover from alcohol addiction and misuse must identify unhealthy behaviours and ways of thinking while forming new and healthy habits. This includes diet and nutrition, not just because it can positively impact your physical health but psychological health too. Here, we look at the link between nutrition and alcohol misuse disorder treatment and reveal why it’s so important.
The Impact of Alcohol on the Body
Alcohol, even when used recreationally, can lead to a number of digestive concerns and nutritional deficiencies. When alcohol first enters someone’s body, it passes into the bloodstream and travels around – first to the brain, then the kidneys, lungs and liver. This means that alcohol affects the body in several ways.
What’s more, it’s not uncommon for those who abuse alcohol to have poor diets. For starters, when someone is suffering from an addiction, they are likely to prioritise using the substance over nutrition leading to malnutrition. Alcohol also dehydrates the body and episodes of sickness and diarrhoea, which can be caused by alcohol, can worsen the dehydration.
Alcohol abuse also impacts the body’s ability to break down and absorb essential nutrients and it causes damage to the stomach lining. This can result in neurological issues and anaemia. Long-term alcohol abuse can impact the liver and pancreas too. The liver is essential for metabolising alcohol and drugs, and the pancreas produces certain enzymes that aid the healthy digestion of proteins, hormones, carbohydrates and lipids as well as balancing out blood sugar levels. When these two essential organs are damaged, they can have a serious impact on the body.
The Importance of a Balanced Diet
Addiction and long-term substance abuse can put the body and brain under a huge amount of stress. A balanced and healthy diet can help with the healing process, however, and the creation of new and healthy habits can have a positive impact on someone’s ability to stay on the right path of recovery.
During recovery and after, eating a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates bring with it a huge number of benefits. When someone enjoys a diet that’s rich in nutrition and vitamins, their body will have the energy required to get better. A healthy diet can also help someone to feel better, physically and mentally, which can mean they might look at their recovery in a better light.
It can also strengthen the immune system, help to rebuild damaged organs and tissue and support a healthy nervous system and digestive process. All of this is essential for the body and brain to recover from prolonged alcohol abuse.
Nutritional Food to Support Recovery
Alcohol addiction can lead to several vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. Here, we look at some of the most common deficiencies and how you can combat them:
- Vitamin B9, folate or folic acid – If someone is lacking in this, they’re likely to feel weak, tired, moody or suffer from anaemia. Carbohydrates like enriched bread, pasta, rice, cereal and nuts, beans, and fruit are naturally rich in folate.
- Vitamin B6 – Those lacking in B6 can suffer from depression, anaemia, confusion and a weak immune system. Fish, poultry, and starchy vegetables like potatoes can help with this.
- Vitamin B1 – Individuals lacking in this can struggle with memory problems. To combat it, a diet that’s rich in beans, lentils, brown rice, fortified foods and pork is ideal.
- Vitamin C – This vitamin plays an important role all over the body and helps with recovery. It boosts iron absorption and energy and helps form collagen which builds up your muscles and skin. Citrus fruit, berries, tomatoes and white potatoes are rich in Vitamin C.
- Magnesium – Magnesium has been shown to reduce the intensity of some addictions and can even help with withdrawal symptoms. Whole grains, dark green vegetables, dried beans and legumes are good for this. Alternatively, a doctor may subscribe to a magnesium supplement.
During addiction, the brain can be seriously affected – both in terms of function and strength – but healthy eating can help the brain to recover and grow. This includes a diet rich in carbohydrates including whole grains, peas and beans, which make the chemical messenger serotonin and help you to feel calm and sleep better.
Amino acids are responsible for the brain developing dopamine. Without this, individuals can suffer from cravings and mood swings. Amino-rich foods include dairy products, meat and nuts. Healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids are also essential for reducing inflammation and working to protect the brain’s cell membrane. These can be found in olive oil, salmon, avocado and nuts.
The Role of Hydration in Recovery
Hydration is also critical to recovery. Alcohol as a whole dehydrates the body so it’s important that anyone drinking alcohol also drinks water. After long-term abuse, the body can be severely dehydrated too which can lead to additional health concerns. This is because the human body is mostly made up of water so, to function properly, it requires a good balance of water and electrolytes.
How much water should be drunk daily depends on the individual and their size. However, experts suggest that drinking half of your own body weight in ounces can combat dehydration. The benefits of drinking water, herbal teas and clear fluids include more energy, feeling more alert and quicker healing. It also flushes any toxins out of the body and helps to move essential nutrients to cells while regulating body temperature. Those who struggle to drink lots of water could try adding lemon or lime to it. Alternatively, caffeine-free herbal teas and coffees can be drunk.
Overcoming Alcoholism with Good Nutrition
Recovery is never a straightforward road and it’s common for individuals to struggle with food cravings or lack of appetite. Both eating the wrong foods and not eating at all can be damaging to the recovery process, however. Sugar can set off the same chemical messenger in the brain that’s triggered by drugs. And unhealthy foods high in trans fats and saturated fats can result in feelings of lethargy.
For this reason, the best option is to stick to a nutritious and balanced diet that’s varied. If you struggle to eat big meals, then consider eating little and often. It’s also important not to restrict yourself too much. There are lots of healthier versions of popular treats out there which can be just as good.
If you want additional support or information about nutrition and the role it plays in alcoholism recovery, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at Nova Recovery. As Scotland’s leading drug and alcohol addiction recovery centre, we’re proud to have created a space to heal the mind and body – and we’re always here to support you through your addiction and sobriety.
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John Gillen
- Author
- Last updated: August 12, 2024
John has travelled extensively around the world, culminating in 19 years’ experience looking at different models. He is the European pioneer of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) treatment to Europe in 2010; and recently back from the USA bringing state of the art Virtual Reality Relapse Prevention and stress reduction therapy. His passion extends to other metabolic disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases. The journey continues. In recent times, John has travelled to Russia to study and research into a new therapy photobiomudulation or systemic laser therapy working with NAD+ scientists and the very best of the medical professionals in the UK and the USA, together with Nadcell, Bionad Hospitals own select Doctors, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Johns’ passion continues to endeavour to bring to the UK and Europe new developments with NAD+ Therapy in preventive and restorative medicine and Wellness. In 2017 John Gillen was made a visiting Professor at the John Naisbitt university in Belgrade Serbia.