Biochemical Restoration

Reversing symptoms of addiction by changing the person’s neurochemistry and nutrient deficiency through dietary intervention. The concept is based on the fact that most, if not all, addictive people have problems processing sugar and carbohydrates and are very, very protein deficient. Ultimately, the goal is to teach the person how to recognize and modulate their feelings by paying attention to the foods they eat.

The Allergy / Addiction Syndrome

Recently, there are researchers that believe there is a strong correlation between addiction and allergies. According to their studies, we become addicted to foods as a way of adapting to allergic reactions from them, and we tend to crave foods we are allergic to because we need them to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. When we reach this point and need a particular food in order to feel good, or rather, in order not to feel bad, we are addicted to it. . "According to this theory," says Leon Chaitow, N.D., D.O., of London, England, "by constantly exposing themselves to an addictive substance, addicts prevent themselves from experiencing the more violent displays of allergic symptoms— the substance 'masks' the allergy, in other words." Furthermore, Dr. Chaitow points out that an addict's withdrawal symptoms are almost identical to the symptoms which occur when an allergic substance is removed from the diet or environment-ranging from tremors to prostration, cramps, vomiting, sweating, and hallucinations. "Any food or drink which is commonly consumed or craved may in fact be an allergic substance for an individual if withdrawal from it makes one feel unwell, or if consumption of it produces euphoria," Dr. Chaitow says. Alcohol is the classic substance fitting this description.

Lastly, it is interesting to note that many of the foods from which alcohol is made, particularly grains, corn derivatives, sugars and yeast are common allergens. The research maintains that many alcoholics are also addicted to these foods and thus perpetuate their allergies with excessive drinking.

Neurotransmitters

Studies conducted at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine, in which smokers and non-smokers filled out a behavioral questionnaire revealed that nicotine’s biggest mood-changing influence was on people who scored high on sensation-seeking. This was true both for smokers and non-smokers (non-smokers who were given nicotine via a nasal spray). Heart rate and blood pressure responses were the same for smokers and non-smokers, suggesting that the psychological effects were more significant than the physiological ones. Doctor Keith Johnsgard, a psychologist and professor emeritus of psychology at San Jose State University in California, says that the explanation has to do with the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is the brain chemical that relates to pleasure and stimulation. Nicotine creates a dopamine response. People who are high sensation seekers reportedly need more dopamine. This same phenomenon explains why nicotine and alcohol often go together. The answer, according to some, is to get your cravings under control and satisfy the need for sensation. A good route to go is to balance your brain chemistry with supplements of neurotransmitters. Since these chemical messengers get out of balance as a result of stress, in addition to any hereditary predisposition, taking such supplements can give you renewed energy while altering a jagged mood in a healthier way.

Doctor Charles Gant, a retired Washington D.C. physician and author of, End Your Addiction Now, is one of a handful of doctors who are convinced that the standard approach to alcoholism is missing an essential component—a biochemical way to loosen alcohol’s grip. This method, which is slowly gaining acceptance, puts a twist on the mind/body dynamic underlying traditional treatment programs. Another physician, Doctor Joseph Beasley, and author of a book called, How to Defeat Alcoholism: Nutritional Guidelines for Getting Sober, is an early proponent of research into the brain chemistry underlying addiction.

These physicians and their colleagues believe that the body’s needs must be attended to first. In their opinion, alcoholism is primarily a brain chemistry imbalance fueled by a deficiency in certain nutrients. Those missing nutrients have to be replenished by eating a diet high in protein, brain-healthy fats and high-fiber carbohydrates. In addition, taking supplements that include vitamins, minerals, and amino acids can actually re-wire the brain to reduce cravings. According to Doctor Beasley, “For the alcoholic, metabolism is far stronger than free will, and diet and nutrition therapy should be part of any alcohol treatment program.”

You would probably be surprised to know that relapsing after years of sobriety is more common for alcoholics than you think. The downside about modern alcoholism treatment is its appalling long-term success rate. Did you know that a commonly cited statistic for alcohol treatment programs is less than 20 percent recovery after one year? In other words, out of every five people who enter an addiction program, only one will actually stay sober. Most programs out there that focus only on the mind, consist of emphasis on daily counseling sessions and attendance at meetings. “Alcoholism is a physical disease,” says Joan Mathews Larson, a nutritionist who is the author of, Seven Weeks to Sobriety, and director of an outpatient treatment program.

We would also like to add that those who advocate a nutritional program do not think that AA-based programs are entirely off base. As a matter of fact, all the treatment programs that feature nutritional therapy also include either 12-step sessions or some other type of counseling. Let’s just say that beating an addiction requires shoring up the body as well as the mind.

Alcoholism is not the only type of addiction that responds well to nutritional therapy. A young doctor’s story is a classic case. As a young resident, he became addicted to prescription drugs and went through the classic 12-step program. A year later, he again found himself in the same boat. This time, he chose a non-12 step concept that administrators of the program said had an 80% success rate. He is still clean today, three years later.

The nutritional program is much the same as those for alcoholics, with a slightly different formula of vitamins and amino acids. So, in essence, the supplements for people recovering from drug abuse are tailored to their particular brain chemistry.

Intravenous Withdrawl Support for Severe Cases

This type scenario is often used by some doctors for those with severe withdrawal problems. Three to four consecutive days of intravenous therapy consisting of vitamin C, calcium gluconate, magnesium sulfate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6. According to some doctors, withdrawal symptoms can often be completely eliminated after one or two days using this approach.

The Heavy Metal / Substance Abuse Connection

Many studies have been done in regard to the heavy metal connection and substance abuse. According to research at the individual level, done through Dartmouth University, the uptake of heavy metals is associated with higher levels of learning disabilities, hyperactivity, substance abuse, violent crimes and other forms of anti-social behavior.

Because alcohol, cocaine and other drugs temporarily restore neurotransmitter functions that are abnormal, substance abuse may often be crude self-medication in response to the effects of the metal toxicity. As an example, lead downregulates dopamine and cocaine is a non-selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor, therefore lead toxicity could increase the risk of cocaine abuse.

Half a dozen people who were substance abusers were analyzed for mineral patterns. For this particular study, a hair analysis was used. The subjects came from different backgrounds, different ethnic persuasions and different types of substance abuse. In all cases, the cadmium levels were above the normal rate, which is less than 0.02mg%. In addition, all but one of the cases showed an elevated level of lead; the ideal being 0.1mg% A doctor, who practices at a clinic in Nevada, finds this method of testing to be very revealing in regard to heavy metals. When testing an addict she was treating, it was determined that the patient was suffering from elevated aluminum, lead, nickel and beryllium levels. Interestingly enough, cadmium may be present at birth, passed from the mother through the placenta. It may also be acquired from environmental sources, including tap water, processed foods and occupational exposure. A large contributor of cadmium is cigarette smoking.

Although the dangers of lead poisoning have been known for years, there are a substantial number of people who continue to suffer from lead exposure and symptoms above dangerous levels. Unfortunately, the children have suffered its health effects the most. Even today, there are still at minimum more than four hundred thousand children under the age of six who have too much lead in their blood.

The list of where one can contaminate themselves is lengthy: drinking water, hair dyes, cosmetics, ceramics, deteriorating paint, soil, and renovating and remodeling. Lead paint was commonly used on the interiors and exteriors of our homes until 1978. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, about 38 million homes in the US still contain lead paint that deteriorates and creates a lead-base paint hazard. Did you know that all it takes is the lead dust equivalent of a single grain of salt for a child to register an elevated blood lead level? Let’s not forget the past use of leaded gasoline that has only recently been banned in this country. The lead produced by vehicle emissions continues even today to present a hazard from the soil where it was deposited over the years along our roads and highways.

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