Addiction takes a terrible toll on a person. It destroys not only your psyche but your entire body as well. That’s why many people, in addition to their addiction, have plenty of other health issues. And recovery is even tougher because of that. Oftentimes you will see that addicts look emaciated and sick. They can only hide their addiction for so long until it shows on their body. The work you do in rehab is incredibly important—talking with experts, learning how to understand your disease, and how to fight it after YOU get out. You shouldn’t ignore the recovery your body has to make after a long time of drug abuse. One way you could help your body heal is through vitamins. And that’s the topic we are going to focus on today- The best vitamins to use in addiction recovery!
Our list of best vitamins to use in addiction recovery
We will share our list of the best vitamins to use in addiction recovery. Each one of these vitamins is equally important, and you shouldn’t skip any of them:
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Thiamine- B1
- Zinc
- Vitamin C
While taking the right vitamins in addiction recovery is crucial, it doesn’t mean that once you start using them regularly you get to avoid other things that you should practice during this dreadful process. This includes talking to a professional about your mental health and being active. In fact, some experts claim that physical activity is your best ally when it comes to the recovery process. So, muxing good vitamins with physical activity can be your path to success. NAD IV Therapy, which has gained attention in addiction recovery circles, is another potential tool. It involves the intravenous administration of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a coenzyme that plays a role in various cellular processes.
Now, let’s see how these vitamins can help you in the recovery process.
Vitamin D
The first vitamin you should use in your addiction recovery is vitamin D, as there are many benefits to it. Vitamin D is incredibly good for your bones because it helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus. It also reduces the risk of MS and decreases the risk of heart disease. Vitamin D helps the body recover, regulates the immune system, and just helps your overall wellness. And that is incredibly important in the process of recovery. But in addition to this, some studies have shown lately that there is a possible link between a lack of vitamin D and drug and alcohol addiction. After some studies on lab mice, it has been suspected that vitamin D levels influence a person’s desire for opioids. Some foods with high levels of vitamin D are egg yolks, red meat, salmon, sardines, etc.
Magnesium
Addiction is a severe chronic illness that changes the chemistry in your brain. And regular intake of magnesium is crucial for drug addicts in recovery. They need to heal both their mind and body. And that’s precisely what magnesium does. Magnesium has numerous benefits. It helps to convert food into energy. It is involved in creating proteins from amino acids and regulating neurotransmitters that send messages to your brain. It is also believed that magnesium helps with depression, migraines, and even PMS symptoms by binding to calming receptors which put you in a more relaxed and calming state.
Experts from Archstone Behavioral Health say that this all has a great impact on our behavioral health and that the calming effects of magnesium can help us deal with everyday obstacles of the recovery process more effectively. But low magnesium levels are not a problem just for addicts. Almost half the American population doesn’t take the recommended daily dose of magnesium. That’s why good nutrition is key. Healthy eating habits mean taking the necessary dose of vitamins through your food. And magnesium can be found in pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, dark chocolate, cashews, rice, yogurt, potatoes, etc.
Thiamine
The next vitamin on our list is Thiamin or vitamin B1. This vitamin is incredibly good for your nervous system, metabolism, immunity, etc. This vitamin is also called an anti-stress vitamin because it protects the brain from highly stressful situations. And what is addiction and addiction recovery if not a very stressful time in someone’s life? It helps boost your immunity after your addiction ravages it. But this vitamin is probably most beneficial for alcoholics. People who have been alcoholics for a long time are found to have extremely low thiamine levels. Their entire immune system is weakened, their energy levels are low, etc. So thiamine is a must for people who are experiencing alcohol withdrawal. You cannot continue to drink and take thiamine, as it won’t be helpful. Research has shown that after taking thiamine for a few months, recovering alcoholics have been said to have a better memory, higher energy levels, and better coordination. Some of the foods that are rich in thiamine are pork, fish, lentils, yogurt, and sunflower seeds.
Zinc
Zinc is a vitamin that is essential for our metabolism and immune system to function properly. Our body doesn’t need too much of it, but a lot of people still have a zinc deficiency. If you have a good healthy diet, you should be getting enough zinc. Still, unfortunately, many people don’t eat well. Zinc reduces inflammation, boosts your immunity, speeds up wound healing, and even helps with acne and anorexia. But it also has an incredible effect on symptoms of withdrawal. And withdrawals can be incredibly painful. It makes it easier for addicts to go through withdrawals; it lessens the pain and helps your body recover. Not to mention the incredible effects it has on your mental health while you are in recovery. It can be found in foods like oysters, poultry, red meat, pickles, cereals, etc.
Vitamin C
And last but not least, there is vitamin C. This is an absolutely essential vitamin for your whole body, and its benefits are numerous. Vitamin C lowers the risk of heart disease and manages high blood pressure. It also reduces the risk of chronic disease. It helps prevent gout attacks and reduces inflammation. It also improves your overall wellness, and what is extremely important helps prevent iron deficiency. It is proven to make withdrawal periods for addicts easier and lessens the pain they are in. Vitamin C should be a regular part of your diet. It can be found in foods such as citruses, bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, and white potatoes.
In conclusion
These were the best vitamins to use in addiction recovery. They are extremely helpful when it comes to boosting your immune system and helping your body recover from years of drug and alcohol abuse. These vitamins also make the withdrawal stage, one of the most complex parts of recovery, easier. But everybody should take them regularly, not just recovering addicts. They should be taken regularly in the form of a healthy and varied diet. We listed some of the foods you can find, but you can also take them as supplements.
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