Eating a diet chock full o' nutrients has forever been essential, but now clinical research demonstrates that there probably is a connection between substance abuse and dietary deficiencies. Carolyn Reuben, a nutrition expert (and the executive director of the Community Addiction Recovery Association in Sacramento, CA) believes that the human body often react to certain dietary deficiencies in a way that may in the end result in mental health disorders and/or addiction.
She and other nutrition experts see deficiency in omega-3 as one of the issues.
Based on an addict's preferred substance or major ailments, Reuben says experts can pinpoint which amino acids, vitamins and nutrients are lacking.
Those struggling from drug usually don't consume a nutritious diet. What Is More, drugs exhaust vitamins and nutrients from the addict's body, so supplanting and preserving them are an important part of recovery. Furthermore, drugs drain vitamins and nutrients from the user's body, therefore replenishing and maintaining these vitamins and nutrients are an important part of rehabilitation.
Reuben asserts, paraphrased, that there's an an important link between our behavior and our sustenance, a direct relationship between our food intake and how happy and satisfied we are. If somebody starts taking alcohol or taking drugs and their response is, "I don't feel high, I feel normal," that's the key that says they were born with a chemical insufficiency. They are insufficient in something and we can correct that with our diet, sometimes with amino acids, fish oil, vitamin C or B. Fish oil benefits seem to be extremely important.
Much of this approach is based on research by Professor Stephen Schoenthaler, PhD, who discovered a relationship between too much sugar consumption, reduced vitamin intake and violence, in 1985. He discovered that prison convicts who were administered day-to-day vitamin/mineral supplements had as much as a 43% drop in aggression, which led researchers to begin investigating the link between nutrition and addiction. More recent research have also learned that supplying prisoners fish oil supplements also decreases aggression.
The CARA program proposes that people (in cooperation with their physician) begin a schedule of eating 3 meals a day, each having at least 20 grams of protein, at least 4 cups of veggies, 2000 mg of vitamin C, a multivitamin, 1000-3000 mg of omega-3 fish oil, 500 mg of L-glutamine, and 2-3 mcg of chromium. It also suggests avoiding white sugar and flour, which may deplete the body of vitamin B. It also encourages doing away with white sugar and flour, which can drain the body of vitamin B.
Although many factors play a part in substance and alcohol addiction, eating a diet rich in nutrients, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fish oil is unquestionably a key part of the successful road to recovery and a drug-free life!
For more info on how to help a drug or alcohol abuser you should call 1-877-782-7409 or browse to Addicthelp.org.
Brittany M. Wallace is a health and nutrition expert.
Tags: addiction, diet, drug addiction, drugs, fish oil, fish oil supplements, fish oils, health, nutrition, omega-3, prison, recovery, rehab, substance abuse, supplements, violence