People with alcohol use disorder can recover from some vitamin deficiencies by eating nutrient-dense foods.
Image Credit: Thomas Northcut/Digital Vision/Getty Images Alcohol depletes and inhibits the absorption of vital nutrients, including vitamins. This makes a person with alcohol use disorder more likely to have one or more vitamin deficiencies. People with alcohol use disorder are more likely to have a less nutritious diet, which exacerbates vitamin deficiencies. Alcohol tends to affect the absorption of all vitamins, but particularly vitamin B12, which depletes even with moderate alcohol use. Certain vitamins are vital to repairing and building cells required for bodily functions.
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What a Person With Alcohol Use Disorder Needs
Start by consulting a doctor for treatment. Aperson with alcohol use disorder may be deficient in vitamins A, C, E, K and the B vitamins, as well as the minerals calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a doctor may prescribe vitamin B1 supplements to prevent Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is a serious illness induced by vitamin B1 or thiamine deficiency. A person with alcohol use disorder may also be prescribed a B-vitamin complex or a vitamin B12 supplement. If you are vitamin A deficient, it is important that you take a supplement under the care of a physician, as high doses can lead to liver disease.
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references
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol Alert
University of Maryland Medical Center: Alcoholism
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Effects Of Moderate Alcohol Consumption On Folate And Vitamin B(12) Status In Postmenopausal Women
references
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol Alert
University of Maryland Medical Center: Alcoholism
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Effects Of Moderate Alcohol Consumption On Folate And Vitamin B(12) Status In Postmenopausal Women
People with alcohol use disorder can recover from some vitamin deficiencies by eating nutrient-dense foods.
Image Credit: Thomas Northcut/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Image Credit: Thomas Northcut/Digital Vision/Getty Images
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol Alert
University of Maryland Medical Center: Alcoholism
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Effects Of Moderate Alcohol Consumption On Folate And Vitamin B(12) Status In Postmenopausal Women
