Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) encompasses the symptoms an individual with alcohol use disorder experiences if they stop drinking suddenly, or reduce their alcohol intake significantly. Zn is an essential structural component of about 2500 Zn-finger proteins, which constitute about 8% of the human genome [178,179]. Zn is also necessary for proper functioning of the immune system vitamins for alcoholics [180,181,182]. If you may be at risk for niacin deficiency, talk with a healthcare provider about ways to help prevent it. Symptoms such as digestive issues, inflamed or red skin, or decreased mental function may mean it’s time to visit a healthcare provider for niacin deficiency. To be diagnosed with niacin deficiency, a healthcare provider needs to complete a clinical evaluation.
- This occurs as both substances use similar pathways in the body to metabolize them.
- It’s why she created her nutrivore approach, which aims to pump up your regular way of eating to deliver everything you need.
- Alcohol also depletes carotenoids, a major source of vitamin A and E in the liver.
- By addressing nutritional imbalances and supporting your body’s repair processes, you can pave the way towards a healthier future.
- These values were correlated with the profile of antioxidative enzymes, i.e., glutathione peroxidase (GPx), selenoproteins, glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD).
Brain Damage
Alcohol and poor eating can stop your liver from releasing glucose into your blood. Boulder Medical Center is independently owned and operated, enabling our providers to place patients first. BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat.
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- When you regularly consume alcohol, it hinders the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, particularly water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin B12 and vitamin C.
- Conversely, Gibson et al. [54] has shown that two weeks of moderate consumption of alcohol (i.e., red wine, or vodka) increased tHcy and reduced the statuses of both vitamin B9 and B12.
- It has been shown that the level of selenium is lower in the group of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis compared to healthy ones, and it decreases proportionally with the degree of liver fibrosis [42].
- Ask your doctor for a referral, or contact your local hospital, community health center, or university.
- Mixing alcohol and supplements does not cause direct interactions but can lead to significant vitamin deficiencies.
Eat beans, peas, lentils, pork, brown rice, and fortified foods like breakfast cereal. When you drink too much, you’re more likely to eat foods that are high in added sugar, salt, and saturated fat. Good nutrition also helps your brain rework old connections and make new ones. This can make it hard to stay away from alcohol while you’re trying to get better. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol. In addition, vitamin C’s antioxidant properties can neutralize harmful free radicals and reverse cell damage.
Nutrient deficiencies in people with alcoholism
- After two to three weeks of abstaining from alcohol, fatty deposits disappear and liver biopsies appear normal.
- In the United States and other industrialized nations, niacin deficiency is a rare but potentially serious condition.
- It has been described that excessive alcohol drinking promotes the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as cancer, liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neuropsychiatric disorders [9,10,11,12].
- Reduced phosphate reabsorption may be the result of increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels due to hypocalcemia induced by vitamin D deficiency or magnesium deficiency due to phosphaturia [56].
- Taking supplements like vitamin C, NAC, and GABA may help replenish your nutrient stores, potentially reducing your cravings and easing your withdrawal symptoms.
As shown in Table 2, severe ALD micronutrient deficiencies are expected in patients, and thus, supplementation is needed. Vitamins, which are molecules found in small amounts in various foods, are essential for normal metabolism, and deficient vitamin levels in the body can lead to serious diseases. Alcoholics are more likely to be deficient in certain vitamins, especially vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), C (ascorbic acid), and folic acid, even in the absence of liver disease [14]. The primary cause of vitamin D deficiency is dietary deficiency; however, other factors may be involved. Alcoholism may affect the absorption, storage, metabolism, and activation of these vitamins [87]. Given the frequency of deficiencies in B vitamins, zinc, and vitamin D, supplementation may be beneficial.
Decreased levels of vitamin B12 levels were shown to be adversely connected with tHcy and significantly linked with indicators of alcohol-related liver impairment in recent research [52]. Another research found that individuals with severe chronic liver disease had high vitamin B12 plasma levels but decreased vitamin B9 plasma levels [53]. Conversely, Gibson et al. [54] has shown that two weeks of moderate consumption of alcohol (i.e., red wine, or vodka) increased tHcy and reduced the statuses of both vitamin B9 and B12. In addition, other studies have studied vitamin B status as well [55,56,57]. For example, Van der Gaag et al. [55] showed that type-dependent alcohol had no effect on vitamin B12, but a fall in folate with spirits consumption and an increase in vitamin B6 with all alcohol types were observed.
Schuster et al. in 2016 conducted a plasma calcium concentration test in alcohol-dependent patients [111]. The psychometric dimension of hunger was studied using the OCDS, ADS, and ADS-HR scales. The authors suggest the usefulness of calcium supplementation in reducing cravings and relapse in people addicted to alcohol. Recent studies reveal the mechanisms of disorders seen in alcoholics during abstinence.
Specifically, an interaction between ethanol and chromium alters biochemical parameters such as liver total triglycerides, liver glycogen, succinate dehydrogenase, or liver glutathione. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element, important for human health due to its anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, and antioxidant activity realized through various selenoproteins [159]. It is an essential component of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and phospholipid-hydroperoxide-glutathione peroxidase. It is believed that selenium counteracts the effects of oxidative stress mainly by GPx [159]. Low serum Se levels have been confirmed many times in patients with hepatic complications as well as in alcohol-dependent patients [151,160,161,162,163].
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Increasingly, reports indicate that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are useful in alleviating ALD through multiple mechanisms [58]. Fish oil substitution increased plasma adiponectin concentrations and promoted fatty acid oxidation in the liver. In addition, the addition of fish oil promoted hepatic autophagy and lipid degradation, and subsequently inhibited the accumulation of lipids in the liver. The addition of unsaturated fatty acids protects various mitochondrial enzymes by reducing oxidative stress and prevents alcohol-induced fatty liver and mitochondrial dysfunction in animal models [60]. Ethanol is empty calories, and prolonged alcohol consumption without adequate dietary intake produces a variety of nutritional disorders.
Nutritional deficiencies can have a variety of severe and permanent effects on how the brain works. Thiamine deficiency in particular, which is frequently seen in people with severe alcohol use disorders, can cause serious neurological problems, impaired movement, and memory loss. If the person who is drinking to excess is also not eating well, their nutritional deficiencies alone can impair the absorption of nutrients by altering the cells lining the small intestine.
