Part of the difficulty in treating addictions is that it can be tough to understand where craving ends and addiction begins.
In fact, that point may be different for every person on the planet. Why can one person drink alcohol socially for years without ever becoming addicted, while the next person develops insidious cravings after the first sip? Why can one kid play video games all morning, then grab a skateboard, head out the door, and enjoy the entire afternoon in the sunshine with his buddies, while the kid next door can barely unglue his hands from the computer long enough to visit the bathroom?
Any kind of addiction—whether to alcohol, painkillers, pornography, or video games—consists of a complex interplay of body and mind. Destructive behaviors and thoughts affect the body, and bodily cravings loop back into thinking and behavior, and so on.
Not surprisingly, then, breaking the cycle of addiction requires attention to both body and mind, says Kristen Allott, ND, a Seattle-based naturopathic physician who specializes in providing nutritional support to individuals under treatment for addictions, depression, and other mental health issues.
When dealing with depression, Dr. Allott says about 20 percent of the time she finds that some kind of nutritional deficiency is at the heart of the problem. With addictions, however, there is always a psychological component that needs attention. “Life happens,” she says, “but some people are more skillful at dealing with the emotional component.”
That’s why she requires that anyone she sees in her practice for support in overcoming an addiction also sees a mental health professional for therapy. You can’t put an addiction behind you without working on the mental and behavioral part of the problem, she says. Dietary changes and nutritional supplements can support recovery, but that’s all.
That begs the question: What exactly is an addiction? According to Dr. Allott, an addiction is “any behavior or substance that negatively impacts your work life, your health, your personal life, your relationships.”
So by Dr. Allott’s definition, the word addiction covers a lot of territory.
“People say, ‘You can’t be addicted to the Internet.’ Yes, you can be,” says Dr. Allott. “I’m seeing more and more of it. Internet addiction is big in Seattle. And it’s going to spread, just like crack did, just like cocaine did.”
Dr. Allott recognizes that some kinds of addictions take a bigger toll on the body than others. Alcohol abuse, for example, ravages the body and damages the liver. As a result, many people with addictions require nutritional support unique to their particular kind of addiction. But by the same token, she says, there are dietary strategies and nutritional supplements that are helpful no matter what the addiction. Every brain, for example, uses the same neurotransmitters to communicate emotions—to generate excitement or to convey a sense of calmness and peace.
“What’s going on in your life makes a difference in which neurotransmitters you use or don’t use,” she says. And if your body is not able to manufacture an adequate supply of neurotransmitters, you have a problem, whether you’re an addict or not. But if you’re addicted to a particular substance or behavior, you may be burning through your neurotransmitters at a higher rate, or, alternatively, you may have greater requirements for particular neurotransmitters in order to support your recovery.
What can you do in terms of diet to make sure that you have an adequate supply of neurotransmitters?
“Protein, protein, protein,” says Dr. Allott. “Protein at every meal and protein in snacks.”
The building blocks of the protein foods that you consume, she explains, are amino acids. And once your body breaks down those protein foods into amino acids during the process of digestion, individual amino acids in turn become the building blocks of neurotransmitters.
Here, from Dr. Allott, is a quick look at what happens to just two of the many amino acids that your body uses to make neurotransmitters:
The amino acid tryptophan, with help from the B vitamins and the minerals iron and magnesium, is converted into 5-HTP and then into the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin. These substances, involved in calming and sedating the body, also have an antidepressant effect.
The amino acid tyrosine, again with help from the B vitamins, is converted into the neurotransmitters dopamine and adrenaline. These substances have to do with experiencing excitement and pleasure.
“Maybe one in 200 patients I see gets enough protein,” says Dr. Allott.
How much is enough?
You need to get 8 grams of protein daily for every 20 pounds that you weigh, explains Dr. Allott. So if you weigh 150 pounds, for example, you need to eat 60 grams of protein a day. On the other hand, no one needs to get more than 100 grams of protein daily, she says.
To put this in perspective, 3 ounces of lean chicken breast contains 20 grams of protein, while two eggs contain about 12 grams. The best protein sources are fish, lean meats, and dairy products, such as milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Nuts and legumes also contain some protein.
In order to get sufficient protein to make the neurotransmitters you need, you really do need to have protein with every meal and also a couple of additional protein snacks during the day—say, a half cup of cottage cheese or a container of yogurt, stresses Dr. Allott.
Besides being essential for the manufacture of neurotransmitters, protein also helps build muscle and helps control sugar cravings, Dr. Allott notes. “Addicts want something that will make them feel better right now,” she explains. “Many go from their substance of choice to sugar.”
Cravings for sugar seem to be a natural biological strategy for addicts in recovery, says Dr. Allott, adding that she does not ever try to restrict their sugar intake. However, she says, having some protein every 3 to 4 hours helps control those cravings.
In addition to protein, it’s also helpful to take a multivitamin, she says. It just makes sense to cover all the nutritional bases while your body is dealing with the challenges of recovery. Also remember to eat your fruits and vegetables—“lots of real food,” advises Dr. Allott. You need them not just for the many helpful nutrients they contain, but also for their fiber content.
There are also several individual nutrients that deserve special attention.
The B vitamins play a key role in the manufacture of neurotransmitters, so no matter what the addiction, anyone in recovery can benefit from taking a B-complex supplement, says Dr. Allott.
The Bs are especially important for anyone recovering from alcoholism, she notes, as alcohol abuse depletes the body of these essential nutrients. In fact, some symptoms of extreme alcohol abuse—such as tremors, nerve damage, and dementia—are the result of B vitamin depletion.
The mineral magnesium is particularly helpful in dealing with anxiety, says Dr. Allott, adding that people who abuse alcohol are especially prone to deficiency.
“A lot of people are magnesium deficient, and magnesium calms the nervous system,” she explains. She recommends taking 600 milligrams daily. If this much gives you loose stools or diarrhea, she advises backing off somewhat on the dose.
Magnesium and calcium work in tandem with each other, she says, and you should be getting at least as much calcium as magnesium. Many experts recommend that you get twice as much calcium as magnesium. That would mean getting 11,200 milligrams.
Could a nutrient actually have an impact on whether one is compelled to gamble? It seems amazing, but small studies done at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in Minneapolis in 2007 found that people with a compulsion to gamble who received supplements of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for just 2 weeks actually experienced a significantly diminished desire to gamble. In this study, participants received 1,477 milligrams a day of the nutrient.
That same year, researchers in Charleston, South Carolina, evaluated N-acetylcysteine supplements in the treatment of cocaine abuse. In a small pilot study, the researchers had cocaine users take supplements ranging from 1,300 to 3,600 milligrams for a period of 4 weeks. Researchers found that those taking the higher doses had less desire for cocaine.
Does this mean you should try N-acetylcysteine as a treatment for addiction? NAC is a modified form of the amino acid cysteine and is apparently safe even at such high doses. However, the studies cited here were quite small. If you’d like to try NAC as a therapy for any kind of addiction, you should discuss it with your doctor.
A number of scientific studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids, found mainly in fish oil, are helpful in dealing with depression. And depression, of course, is common in those recovering from an addiction.
“Omega-3s are needed in every cell of the body, but particularly nerve cells,” says Dr. Allott. They also help the liver recover if the addiction has caused liver damage, which is of particular concern for those who have abused alcohol.
Dr. Allott recommends taking a fish oil supplement and simply following the directions on the package to determine your proper dose. Do pay attention to the quality of the product, she advises, as rancid oil can damage your health. If you opt for capsules, break one open and smell it. If it smells vile and you can’t wash the fishy smell off your fingers, it’s probably rancid, she warns. You’ll need to toss the entire bottle and try another brand. Two good brands, she says, are Carlson’s and Nordic Naturals.
Natural Highs: Feel Good All the Time by Hyla Cass, MD, and Patrick Holford. This book goes into great detail about individual neurotransmitters and how they support recovery from addictions.
“Everyone should be taking 1,000 International Units of vitamin D3,” says Dr. Allott. Besides being helpful for depression, vitamin D3—also known as cholecalciferol—helps with the absorption of calcium and magnesium.
If you are recovering from an addiction, you should be seeing a therapist to help you deal with the mental and behavioral aspects of your problem. It also makes sense to take a multivitamin to ensure that you’re getting all of the nutrients that you need.
B vitamins |
B-complex supplement, follow package directions |
Calcium* |
600 milligrams |
Omega-3 fatty acids |
Take fish oil, following package directions† |
Magnesium* |
600 milligrams |
N-Acetylcysteine‡ |
1,500 to 3,600 milligrams |
Protein |
8 grams daily for every 20 pounds you weigh, spread throughout the day in both meals and snacks |
Vitamin D3 |
1,000 IU |
*If 600 milligrams of magnesium causes loose stools or diarrhea, back off somewhat on the dose.
†Fish oil has a blood-thinning effect. If you’re taking any kind of blood-thinning drug, talk to your doctor before taking fish oil supplements.
‡NAC is considered safe at these doses. However, if you’d like to try NAC as a therapy for addiction, please discuss it with your doctor.