At ECHO Recovery, I’ve found great value in the education and recovery support we provide for those who are struggling with substance use disorder (SUD), including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Taking the first step and admitting you need help addressing your alcohol use can be the most difficult, most critical decision you’ll ever make. It’s common to feel defeated in the face of the many physical and mental health issues caused by excessive alcohol use, but it’s not too late to forge a path forward. I made this difficult decision myself many years ago, and today, I continue to encourage others to move away from alcohol use and toward healthier choices. In addition to supplements for alcohol cravings, there are several prescription medications that can help you cut back or quit drinking. Naltrexone can help retrain your brain to be less interested in alcohol over time, while acamprosate, baclofen, gabapentin, and topiramate can all help reduce cravings for alcohol.
- This balance ensures that individuals in recovery receive the necessary nutrients to help rebuild their bodies, support brain health, and facilitate a successful recovery journey.
- The first step in treating addiction to any substance is to remove all traces of the substance from the body.
- While carbs might get a bad rap in the rest of the world, for someone newly sober they can be a crucial part of the overall diet and is one of the best alcohol detox foods.
- Without these key nutrients, you not only risk succumbing to various physical ailments, but you can also struggle to think clearly and act quickly.
- DL-phenylalanine is an essential amino acid which plays an important role in the functioning of your nervous system.
Nutrient-Dense Snack Options for Alcohol Recovery
While it’s important to keep in mind any dietary restrictions and food allergies you may have, certain foods are jam-packed with nutritious content that is vital to the overall recovery process. Before eating any of these best foods for alcohol detox, make sure to consult with your doctor to get professional medical advice if you think there might be any allergy issues. Complex carbs are high in fiber and healthy, natural sugars that boost your energy levels and promote good digestion. Fatigue and low energy are common alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but complex carbs help fight and reverse these symptoms. This helps your body manage withdrawal symptoms and recover from the effects of alcohol addiction, says Kayla Risteen, the director of dietary services at Landmark Recovery.
Vitamins to take for alcohol withdrawal
Talk to our recovery specialists today and learn about our integrated treatment programs. It’s normal for recovering alcoholics to desperately crave sugar to the point that they struggle to eat anything else. This is usually due to neurotransmitter imbalances, fluctuations in blood sugar content or just having an addictive personality. Cayenne pepper is a natural spice that may help with alcohol detox because it contains capsaicin, which has been shown to have pain-relieving and appetite-stimulating effects. Whole grains are also rich in fiber, but also provide a slow release of sugar into a person’s system to help prevent mood swings. We need vitamins and minerals to make natural feel-good chemicals, GABA, in our bodies.
Common Food Cravings During Alcohol Withdrawal
Complex carbs are present in whole foods like fruits and vegetables, while simple carbs are often processed and made with sugar and flour, such as breads, pastries, and breakfast cereals. Here’s what you need to know about alcohol detox and withdrawal along with a list of superfoods to include in your alcohol detox diet that may be effective at accelerating your recovery. If you or a loved one is going through alcohol detox, understand that a healthy diet can enhance your recovery, and help you feel stronger, more refreshed, and more energetic. While the body can withstand malnutrition for weeks, if not longer, dehydration quickly becomes a matter of life or death.
Nutritional yeast can replenish B vitamins and keep your body going without much fuss. To determine which foods are best for alcohol recovery – and understand why they’re so helpful – it’s critical to learn more about what alcohol really does to https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the body. Another thing that will help your liver’s journey in recovery is good nutrition. There’s no miracle diet by any means, but the Mediterranean diet, for example, can help fill some of the nutritional gaps you may have due to alcohol use.
Supplementation and a balanced diet rich in these vitamins can help mitigate the negative health effects caused by alcohol and support the body’s healing process. Many people consume fried and greasy foods while drinking alcohol, which is why these foods tend to be craved when people stop drinking. Increasing your glutamine intake during early recovery can help you suppress your cravings while also keeping your nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea under control. Glutamine is also good for supporting proper gut health, so get plenty of meats, cheese like ricotta or cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, and cruciferous veggies like spinach and cabbage. A diet of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats is important in alcohol recovery.
Use Insurance to Start Treatment
Carbohydrates, or carbs, are another nutrient that has been targeted for heavy reduction or elimination by diet fads. However, carbohydrates are essential for the function of the central nervous system and brain. They are so important that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests 45% to 65% of daily calories should come from carbs. Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available.
Proteins like meats, poultry, fish, beans, peas, eggs, nuts and seeds are rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc and magnesium, all of which are common alcohol-related deficiencies. Making sure to eat protein during your detox and recovery can help to replete your stores of these important nutrients. When you drink alcohol, it releases a burst of dopamine, serotonin, and other “feel good” chemicals in your brain.
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe depending on a person’s overall health status, and on the amount of alcohol they normally drink.
- Capsaicin also releases endorphins, the hormone that creates feelings of happiness.
- More times than not we’re functioning at a very low frequency of energy while our organs, cells, and transmitters find a way to start healing.
- Similarly, nutritional yeast contains many B vitamins that your body is likely missing as a result of alcohol use.
- Excess processed foods can lead to weight gain, elevated blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Foods to Eat for a Hangover
Eating a banana can potentially help with hangover symptoms by replacing electrolytes after drinking alcohol, although this has not been backed by research. Coconut water is rich in electrolytes, including potassium, sodium, magnesium, best foods for alcohol recovery and phosphorus. While the direct effects of drinking coconut water for hangovers haven’t been studied, some research indicates that the beverage might be beneficial to restore fluids lost due to illness or exercise.