Vitamins for Alcoholics: Liver Recovery and Withdrawal

A lack of B vitamins can lead to fatigue, memory problems, and reduced alertness, so ensuring your body gets enough B vitamins is important during alcohol withdrawal and recovery. Alcohol’s effects on the levels of reactive molecules and the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) in the cell. Both the MEOS and acetaldehyde also lead to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage the cells through various mechanisms (e.g., lipid peroxidation). ROS can be eliminated or converted to harmless substances by GSH and other antioxidants. (B) One of the precursors of GSH is the amino acid methionine, which first is converted to S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe).

• The MEOS plays a role in alcohol metabolism, particularly after higher alcohol consumption.
• Chronic alcohol use can deplete your body of vitamins and minerals by reducing your appetite, interfering with nutrient absorption, and impairing your body’s ability to use nutrients effectively.
• Vitamins and nutrient-dense foods are imperative in treating alcohol addiction and its consequences.
• Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is an essential nutrient for the proper functioning of your body, particularly in the conversion of food into energy and the regulation of brain metabolism.
• Vitamins are essential for aiding the liver after alcohol misuse by helping with detoxification, regeneration, and metabolism.

Alcoholism

New agents currently are being studied as promising nutritional supplements for alcoholics with liver disease. Chronic drinkers, particularly those who consume a substantial portion of their daily calories in the form of alcohol, often show evidence of malnutrition such as deficits in amino acids, proteins, and certain vitamins. These deficits can derive from an inadequate diet as well as from alcohol’s effects on these nutrients and their metabolism. Particularly common is a deficit in vitamin A, which is required for proper eye function and bone growth. Moreover, both vitamin A deficits and excessive vitamin A levels can lead to liver damage, including fibrosis. Therefore, administering vitamin A to correct a deficiency is difficult and should be controlled carefully, particularly in Alcoholics Anonymous the presence of alcohol abuse, which exacerbates vitamin A’s toxicity.

Essential Vitamins for Recovery and Healing

Further, some supplements may have drug interactions with your existing medications or can worsen other current medical conditions. Because alcohol is an immunosuppressant, some people take vitamin C to combat some health risks of alcohol use. However, there is little support in clinical studies for using vitamin C for this reason. Kudzu might be helpful for those who struggle with alcohol because some data show that it can help reduce alcohol intake, even in those who drink heavily.

Are There Risks Associated with Mixing Alcohol and Supplements?

“If we give thiamine to a whole bunch of people who don’t really need it, there is no harm done,” Shiling said. The total cost of the thiamine and supplies to administer it is $89 for a total of six 500-milligram treatments delivered three times a day for two days. What if the Wernicke encephalopathy diagnosis is wrong but providers initiate treatment?

Are there specific vitamins that can help with alcohol withdrawal syndrome?

Some studies have been done on d-phenylalanine, finding it improves alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Although many different B vitamins can be impacted by drinking, one of the most dangerous B-vitamin deficiencies is thiamine or vitamin B1. Lack of vitamin B1 can cause a life-threatening condition called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. For this reason, those who struggle with alcohol are often told to take vitamin B1. People who drink alcohol are at higher risk of calcium deficiency, since alcohol interferes with your body’s ability to properly absorb this vital nutrient.

Vitamin E and Antioxidant Protection

Moreover, medical professionals often recommend supplementing with oral or intravenous thiamine, especially for individuals with alcohol use disorder. Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is an essential nutrient for the proper functioning of your body, particularly in the conversion of food into energy and the regulation of brain metabolism. Unfortunately, if you have an alcohol use disorder, you’re at an increased risk of thiamine deficiency. This deficiency can lead to severe health issues like Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS), which affects the brain and nervous system. Alcohol consumption can negatively impact your body’s ability to absorb and utilize essential vitamins and nutrients.

A light, velvety, unique skin feel liquid that is a good solvent and also makes the skin feel nice and smooth (aka emollient). It’s often used in makeup products mixed with silicones to give shine and slip to the product. It’s also great for cleansing dirt and oil from the skin as well as for taking off make-up. Regarding the skin-brightening properties of pure vitamin C, this is another magic property AP does not have, or at least there is no data, not even in-vitro, about it. The only good thing we can write about Ascorbyl Palmitate is that there is an in-vitro (made in the lab, not on real people) study showing that it might be able to boost collagen production. So, AP is one of the attempts by the cosmetics industry to solve the stability issues with vitamin C while preserving its benefits,  but it seems to fall short on several things.

Vitamins to take for alcohol withdrawal

• Learn more about medications for alcohol cravings, and other ways to round out your support system in recovery.
• Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is a stable, oil-soluble form of skincare big shot Vitamin C. If you do not know, why Vitamin C is such a big deal in skincare, click here and read all about it.
• Also, the test formula was very well tolerated, without any retinol-like side effects.
• Magnesium is crucial for nerve and muscle function, as well as for maintaining a healthy immune system.
• However, because it supports the immune system and alcohol suppresses it, some people may take supplements with selenium for its immune-boosting properties.

Conversely, alcohol metabolism by the ADH pathway also may influence metabolic functions. As mentioned above, ADH-mediated breakdown of alcohol generates hydrogen atoms in addition to acetaldehyde. These hydrogen atoms interact with a molecule called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), converting it to reduced NAD (NADH). NADH, in turn, participates in many essential biochemical reactions in the cell, and in the process passes on its hydrogen to other molecules. For proper functioning of the cell, the ratio of NAD to NADH must be tightly controlled. When alcohol metabolism generates excess amounts of NADH, the cell can no longer maintain the normal NAD/NADH ratio.

Zinc, on the other hand, is important for immune function, wound healing, and maintaining a healthy metabolism. To ensure proper nutrition, you can consider including magnesium and zinc supplements in your daily regimen. In addition to an improved diet to reverse nutritional deficiencies, alcoholics with moderate malnutrition also might benefit from treatment with anabolic steroids (Mendenhall et al. 1995). These compounds, which are derived from the male hormone testosterone, can be used in the short term to promote overall body buildup and therefore may help the alcoholic recover from malnutrition.

Silymarin for Liver DiseaseSilymarin has been used to treat alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis, multivitamin for alcoholics and toxin-induced liver diseases, and can be promising in the approach to hepatocellular carcinoma. And, because of that, alcoholics are usually very deficient in a variety of key vitamins and minerals. Although there is little data about the benefit of vitamin B1 on alcohol withdrawal cravings, supplementing with vitamin B1 is important to avoid complications from alcohol use.