Supplements To Aid You In Recovery From Addiction And Remain Healthy

August 3, 2014

Supplements To Aid You In Recovery From Addiction And Remain Healthy

What are supplements?

addiction supplements Supplements are substances that are considered vital in the body but they are currently insufficient or unavailable hence need to add them to the body. These substances are intended to cure a given disease or condition naturally by providing the body with the ingredients that it requires in fighting the disease or condition. In this article, we will look at some critical supplements which enable the body to fight addiction and heal from the damage cause by the addiction.

DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA): DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA): this is an essential amino acid which our bodies cannot produce and thus they must come from our diets of from DL-supplement. It is a depression fighting mixture made from two forms of amino acid, phenylalanine. One of its components, L-Portion has dopamine and nor-epinephrine which are essential in bolstering of moods. The D-portions of the compound is made in the labs and it appears to block the nervous system enzyme which amplifies the pain signal. This is why this supplement can be useful in the treatment of pain and mild depression. DPLA has been proven to be able to improve the mental awareness.it can also increase endorphin and encephalin levels by inhibiting the enzyme enkephalinase that breaks them down.
L-Tyrosine: This is another important amino acid which is used in the synthesis of structural proteins. Tyrosine is manufactured from another amino acid called phenylalanine. One of the reasons why tyrosine is considered to be among the most important amino acids is because it is used in the production of neurotransmitter. Some scientists have also argued that tyrosine directly affects the brain. This amino acid is also known to be responsible as a pigment imparting agent for the human skin.

Where can we get this amino acid from? Tyrosine is readily available in foods such as dairy products, meat, eggs, fish and oats. Apart from the dietary source the amino acid can be found as a supplement especially for people who cannot get it directly from the foods.

The health advantage of tyrosine is that it has been proven to reduce depression, mood disorders, among other diseases. Tyrosine also is used by the body to create chemical messengers which paly role in the alertness of an individual. Tyrosine also works to increase the production of enkephalins, which are peptides which have potent painkilling effects and also
protects falling dopamine levels.

L-Glycine: this is an amino acid which is not considered essential since the body can naturally manufacture its own L-glycine. Apart from this fact, they can be found in the diets that we take every day. These amino acids are important in a number of ways. They have been confirmed to have anti-inflammatory effects and also they encourage the production of neurotransmitter which is an essential substance in the brain for sending and receiving signals. It has also been successfully used to treat depression and prevention of epileptic seizure.

L-glycine is also known to have soothing effect in the brain and thus it can be used to bring calmness in the brain, and effect that can be harnessed for medicinal value. It also assists in endorphin and enkephalin synthesis.

L-Methionine: this is an amino acid which is used to prevent liver damages in acetaminophen poisoning. Methionine helps the liver to detoxify drugs and is also required for the production of enkephalins. It is found in foods but can also be given as a supplement. It plays many critical functions in the cells to avoid liver damage.

L-Tryptophan: this is an essential amino acid found in the human body. The body cannot manufacture it, and therefore it must be taken with our diets. It is an important amino acid in the development and functioning of many organs in the body. Once it is absorbed into the body from food, L-tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP and then to Serotonin. Serotonin is an important hormone which is the medium of communication in the nerve system. Do not take tryptophan at the same time as SSRI antidepressants.

Vitamins and Minerals: These are nutrients that we should take in our daily meals. Vitamins and minerals are supported in their own right but also essential cofactors for the above amino acid remedies.

Magnesium: this is a nutrient which is very important in our bodies, since it is used in hundreds of biochemical reactions, a factor which makes it crucial for health. Magnesium is calming and nourishing to the nervous system, slightly painkilling, assists regeneration throughout the system and liver detoxification.

B-Complex: These are vitamins (The eight B vitamins). They are important in our bodies, since they keep our bodies run like a well-oiled machine. High doses of B complex are protective and regenerative to the nervous system. These vitamins can be gotten from diets like cerials, green leavy vegetables, eggs, chicken, citrus fruits just to mention a few. In case you cannot get these vitamins from the diet, you can also get them as supplement, by taking B Complex supplements. Deficiency in these vitamins can result to symptoms such as anemia, tiredness, depression among others.

Supplements To Aid You In Recovery From Addiction And Remain Healthy

Is Herbal Therapy Effective for Alcohol or Drug Addiction Treatment?

August 3, 2014

Herbal Therapy Treatment For Alcohol Or Drug Addiction

What is herbal treatment?

Herbal treatment is one of the oldest treatment methods, but still in use all over the world. This refers to the treatment which bases on the medicine obtained exclusively from plants. The medicine is obtained from varied plants known to have medicinal values. The plants used to give a given medicinal value may vary from place to place depending with the cultural practices of the area. Different cultures may though used the same plant but differ in how they use it or the specific part that they use.

Advantages of herbal treatment in Drug addiction recovery

It is now a fact that herbal medicine is being preferred by many all over the world. The big question is, “why do many people prefer herbal medicine over the pharmaceutical medicines?” many researches have been conducted to determine the credibility of herbal medication, though this medication has been one of the oldest. Herbal medication has obviously preferred due to its many benefits to the human body. The following are some of the benefits of herbal medicine;

They have negligible side effects – many pharmaceutical medicines have been proven to have a side effect to the patient who uses them. The case is different with herbal medicines. Almost all the researches which have been conducted on the herbal medicines, have indicated that it has very low or no side effects at all. This is one of the reasons why herbal medication is highly preferred in the drug addiction recovery process since it leaves the patient with no side effects.
They are cost effective – the drug addicts may not be very productive in the community, and therefore for relatives or well-wishers to offer material support to help the addict look for treatment for the addiction may be difficult especially when the medication cost is high. Herbal medication becomes the better option for many, since its cost is highly affordable by far that the prescription medicine. This is due to the low cost in the process of research, testing and marketing of the herbal medicines as compared to the prescription medicine.
They are effective with chronic condition- herbal medicine has proven to be effective than many of the traditional prescription medicine. This medication is for this case a good medication option for people suffering from addiction effects such as chronic fatigue.
Widespread availability – one of the most important factors that make herbal medicine highly preferred in the treatment of drug addiction is its availability. The herbal medicines are readily available all over the world and hence accessing them is much easy. Some of the simple herbs that are known to have medicinal values can be grown at home and hence when they are required in the treatment they can be easily accessed from there.
Non-habit forming – herbal medicines have been proven not to cause any habit formation and hence no chances of addiction resulting from the medication.

What makes herbal treatment effective in drug addiction treatment?

Herbs have the capacity to ease some alcohol or drug withdrawal symptoms (i.e. from anxiety to insomnia) and they can also help in the detoxification of the body. One of the challenges that a drug addict will face during the recovery period is the craving for the drugs. Herbal medication has been effective in the reduction of the intensity in the addicted person’s craving for alcohol and other drugs.

Nervous system correction

Among the helpful herbs, are herbs that influence the nervous system or by gently encouraging a relaxed and sedated state. Some of the herbs that are known to bring this sedation are: – catnip, chamomile, peppermint, and skullcap. The good thing with these herbs is that they provide a wide range of ways through which they can be taken by a patient. One of these convenient ways is that it can be used together as a tea or with any other fluid. In most cases, to replace mild depression with a state of calmness, St. John’s wort is often prescribed to the patients.

Detoxification

Many addictive drugs will always leave toxins in the body even after the patient recovers from the addiction. These toxins are known to have a negative to the patient in the long run. It is therefore very important for detoxification to be done to the patient despite the recovery medication. For this detoxification to be done, there are several herbs which contribute to cleansing of the blood. These herbs may include burdock root and echinacea (purple coneflower). Some other herbs such as milk thistle, which is known to contain silymarin, support the liver which is the main toxin-filtering organ in the body. This may thus help in prevent drug-induced damage to the liver.

The Chinese herbal medicine
Kudzu root, which is often prescribed as a bitter tea, has long been used by traditional Chinese doctors to reduce the appetite for alcohol. This helps the alcohol addict who is in the process of recovering by avoiding craving effects. The recent animal research suggests that alcohol-free kudzu root extract can cut the consumption of alcohol in half. (The patients in this study, however, were a breed of hamsters.) Based on such a research, we can conclude that herbal medicine has many advantages in helping the drug addicts in the recovery.

Herbal Therapy Treatment For Alcohol Or Drug Addiction

Sugar Addiction & Dopamine

August 2, 2014

Sugar Addiction & Dopamine: Is there any relation?

In our everyday life in our diets we include sugary foods. Sugar is a source of sweetness that everyone will always want to get. Under normal circumstances, we take sugar in the form of food additive but some people will sometimes take it directly due to its sweetness satisfaction.

What is dopamine?

This is one of the principal neurotransmitters which are involved in the substance dependence. It is one of the hormones which play a very important role in the human brain and body. In the brain, this hormone works as a communication network to send signals to the other cells nerves. These hormones dominate the roles of the brain reward system which is responsible for behaviors. Most of the rewarding activities will increase the amount of the dopamine released in the brain and also some of the addictive drugs are known to also increase the dopamine neural activity.

Is sugar addictive?

Researches have been done to find out whether sugar addiction is a reality of fiction. The recent researches have shown that sugar is a “new tobacco”, worse than many addictive drugs we know and a secrete killer! It is argued according to the research done by Dr. Mark Hyman et al, that sugar is over eight times more addictive than cocaine.

sugar addiction

Sugar, unlike many other addictive drugs which are illegal in many countries, is a legal food substance all over the world. This makes sugar readily available and it is also cheap to acquire. The nature of its sweetness cannot also be underrated as this is what actually makes a sugar a highly rewarding substance in the human brain.

Among the known foodstuffs which have capability to stimulate the pleasure centers in the brain, sugar is one of them. This center of pleasure which sugar stimulates is known as dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that controls the brain’s pleasure and reward centers. Research has shown that sugar acts on human brain in the same way as cocaine.

What makes sugar be regarded as addictive?

Before we conclude that a substance is addictive, we have to look at whether it poses the attributes of an addictive substance. Sugar has the following attributes which qualify it to be an addictive substance:-

Despite its negative effects or the desire to stop taking sugar, the person compulsively continues to eat it.
Just like the other addictive drugs such as alcohol and cocaine, sugar impacts the neurotransmitter in the brain.
When used continuously, tolerance occurs and hence the person must take more sugar to achieve the same experience.
Over time, sugar is required for the person’s body to function normally.
When someone stops taking the sugar, withdrawal symptoms are witnessed.

How does dopamine play part in sugar addiction?

Just like with any other dopamine producing substance, when sugar is taken it enters the brain system and activates the neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure. High amounts of dopamine are released to the system and hence the rewarding effects occur. This rewarding occurs in a form of pleasure that the person who is taking the sugar feels. With time, the number of dopamine which are released when the sugar is taken reduces and this results to the condition known as resistance. This eventually means in order to produce the pleasurable feeling, you have to consume more and more of sugar than that you used to consume before. This launches a viscous cycle of increased consumption of sugar leading to further desensitization and end up with an insatiable appetite for sugar.

Does sugar addiction have any negative effect to one’s health?

The fact that sugar is a common food substance acceptable all over the world makes it a common stuff in every kitchen. Under normal circumstances, a person will have a control over when it is necessary to take sugar in whichever form. This will though not be the case when the person becomes addicted with sugar. A sugar addict will unhealthily consume a lot of sugar which poses a lot of dangers to one’s health. Let’s look at some of the dangers that sugar addiction can cause to the addict.

Sugar addiction may cause diabetes

Diabetes is a complex disease attributed with high glucose level in the blood. It is also called high blood sugar. When a person becomes a sugar addict, the chances of high blood glucose becomes high and hence the chances of becoming diabetic.

Sugar addiction can cause obesity

The understanding of the relationship between sugar and obesity may look hidden unlike its direct relationship with diabetes. The main reason behind obesity is overeating. So, does it mean sugar addicts eat more than normal people? Let’s find out by asking another related question, “How do we know that we have eaten enough food and hence stop eating?”

sugar addiction

The reason why we will always know when we have had enough of food is that our brains have a hormone known as Leptin. This hormone sends a signal when one has had enough of a food and hence the person stops eating. This hormone is naturally produces in the fat cells and it functions well under normal healthy dieting. However, this hormone is easily interrupted by things such as ingesting too much artificial sweeteners, high levels of insulin and not forgetting excess sugar. When a sugar addict consumes excess sugar, this disrupts the hormone and hence it fails to function.

When Leptin hormones fail, the hunger homes begin to run rampantly and unopposed. This makes the addict feel hungry and hence want to eat every now and then. Every time such a person eats, there will be obviously overeating since there are no regulatory signals in the brain and this is why sugar addiction is highly associated with obesity.

Sugar Addiction & Dopamine: Is there any relation?

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR DOPAMINE

July 31, 2014

Natural Remedies for Dopamine Include IV Vitamin C, IV selenium, IV coq10, IV DNP

From the definition of dopamine, you will understand that dopamine is responsible for the reward system in the brain. This chemical is responsible for making us feel pleasure, motivated, drive, focus, concentration etc. Dopamine is therefore simply a chemical that is used by the brain to send signals. When dopamine is released by a nerve, it crosses a very small gap known as synapse and then attaches to a dopamine receptor on the next nerve. When the levels of dopamine are low in the brain, the nerve impulses or signals cannot be transmitted well and this can impair the brains functioning. This situation where the level of dopamine is low in the brain is known as dopamine deficiency.

What may affect the level of dopamine?

Dopamine is a chemical which is naturally produced by the human brain. This means that for the level of dopamine produced by the brain to remain optimum the brain must be functioning well. Any alteration in the functioning of the brain therefore can cause imbalance in the levels of dopamine in the brain. Addictive drugs are known to be in the frontline of the causers of this imbalance. The addictive drugs seem to alter the normal functioning of the brain and consequently affect the level of dopamine in our bodies. When the level of dopamine goes down, the person may become depressed. A common effect of low level of dopamine in the brain is depression.

How do I know that I have dopamine deficiency?

The common symptoms of low level in dopamine are the same symptoms associated with the clinical depression. This is because when the person has low level of dopamine; emotions cannot be correctly regulated and has mental impulses which mitigate intense feeling of sadness. The following are therefore the most common symptoms of dopamine deficiency;

Lowness in motivation – the person looks docile and doesn’t look to have any motivation towards activities around.
Lack of interest in life – the person doesn’t see reason to live.
Mood swings – the person looks moody and not willing to freely interact with the people around.
Sleep patterns become altered – if you are a victim of dopamine deficiency, you may exhibit altered sleep patterns.
Poor memory – the person has a very low retention and remembrance capacities. The chances of retaining information for long are very low since the person remains depressed.
The person may be addicted to caffeine or other stimulants
Fatigue may also be evident.
There may be weight loss in the person.
Inability to feel pleasure – since the dopamine is the one responsible for the feeling of pleasure, its deficiency means the person will experience diminish in pleasure feeling capacity.

The levels of dopamine sometimes may be extremely low. In this situation, it causes a permanent and degenerative diminishing motor skills and also muscle rigidity and tremor.

The Natural Remedies For Dopamine Deficiency

Balanced amount of dopamine in the brain is very important. Thus whenever one is diagnosed with its deficiency there should be measures to restore it back to the appropriate levels. The natural remedies have been proven to be much safer ways of increasing serotonin levels. This is particularly because these natural ways are not prone to side effects like the medical ways have.

The natural dopamine remedy doesn’t involve prescription medicine and thus it focuses on the nutrition, exercise and supplements.

The nutritional dopamine increase – this dopamine increasing strategy looks at the level of deficiency and offers plans to increase them appropriately. The book, “The Edge Effect” which is written by Dr. Eric Braverman gives us specific nutritional and supplement plans which can be used to increase the levels of dopamine to certain levels depending on the person’s deficiency.

The principle that is used by the dopamine diet is that it offers the body the required raw materials for a steady supply of tyrosine and phenylalanine which are the two amino acids which are antecedents of dopamine. The source of these amino acids is foods which are rich in proteins. These foods convert their tyrosine to dopamine. Such foods include:-

Meat (Chicken, pork etc.)
Fruits like bananas, apples and watermelon.
Eggs
Black and green tea
Beans and legumes
Honey
Milk
Ricotta
Soybeans
Beets and many more other foods products especially those rich in proteins and IV Vitamin C.

Supplements which can increase dopamine

There are compounds which can be administered to the patient and then they raise the level of dopamine in the patient. Such supplements include Tyrosine and L-Phenylalanine. These are actually amino acids and hence they can make dopamine when administered to the patient. They should though be used for low energy type depression, addictive behavior, including depression (low mood), food craving and overeating phases.

Exercise

Exercise plays an important role in dopamine level increasing. It is highly recommended that you regularly do exercise. Exercise increases the blood calcium which in turn stimulates dopamine production and uptakes in the brain. Doing exercises such as walking, gym, swimming, jogging extra can be very helpful in the dopamine level incrementing. Sleep is also another important ingredient, and thus ensure you get enough sleep.

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR DOPAMINE

Can Addiction Cause Cancer?

July 30, 2014

How Addiction Can Cause Cancer

What causes cancer?

addiction Cancer is a complex disease with many possible causes. It is characterized by out of control cell growth. As by today, there are over hundred types of cancer that are known. The type of cancer is primarily determined by the cells that it initially affects. The harm that cancer causes to one’s body is that the damaged cells divide uncontrollably forming lumps or masses of tissues known as tumors. These tumors can grow and even interface with the digestive, nervous and blood circulatory systems and they sometimes release chemicals that alter the normal functioning of the body organs. Tumor can be considered to be starting if it stays at one position and demonstrates limited growth.

These are many causes of cancer. Some of the causes are tough specific to a given type of cancer. Some of the common causes of cancer can be; genetic factors, lifestyle factor, diet, physical activities among others. In this discussion, we will be looking at the type of cancer that is caused by lifestyle and more specifically cancer caused by addiction.

· Tobacco addiction causes cancer!

Before we even look at how tobacco addiction causes cancer, we need to remember the meaning of addiction. Addiction is a situation in which a person uses a given addictive substance uncontrollably despite the negative effects it may pose to one’s health. Tobacco addiction therefore makes a person to take/ smoke tobacco uncontrollably. The amount of tobacco substance that the addicted person takes is by far high above the amount a normal person would manage. This means that the addicted person has high chances of being faced with the harmful effects associated with tobacco abuse.

Tobacco is among the highest causes of preventable deaths all over the world. This is because it leads to diseases affecting critical organs like heart, lungs and liver with cancer among the highly risky possible diseases to attack these organs.

The smoke that tobacco produces has been the leading cause of many of these cancer types. When the smoke is inhaled, it poses almost all the body organs to the risk of cancer disease. The most affected organs by the smoke are the ones that form the respiratory system. These includes: – the lung, mouth, larynx, esophagus among others. Some of the other health problems associated with smoking includes; the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Emphysema, Chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and tuberculosis.

What makes cigarette smoking cause cancer?

The tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals and about 70% of these chemicals are known to cause cancer. This means smoking of cigarettes poses risk of cancer than any other cause of cancer known. Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer and there are very few survivors of lung cancer. The main reason why there are very few survivors of lung cancer is due to delicacy in the organ and thus making its treatment difficult.

Does smokeless smoking cause cancer?

Smokeless smoking refers to the type of tobacco that is not burned. It is commonly taken in the form of chewing tobacco, oral tobacco, spitting tobacco, dip and snuff. Nicotine is a special type of tobacco that is absorbed through the lining of the mouth.

The fact about tobacco is that it has chemicals that are harmful to one’s health and thus the form in which it is taken matters less though it determines the health problems that can be faced due to the drug taken. Smokeless tobacco is believed to be less harmful to the health as far as cancer and related diseases are concerned. At least 28 chemicals in the smokeless tobacco have been confirmed to cause cancer. Out of these cancer causing chemicals found in the smokeless tobaccos, the most harmful chemicals are the tobacco-specific nitrosamines. These are chemicals formed during the growing, curing, fermenting and aging of tobacco. The researchers have revealed that the nitrosamine level is directly related to the risk of cancer.

Apart from the nitrosamine content of the smokeless tobacco, there are other cancer causing substances in the smokeless tobacco such as the Polonium-210 which is a radioactive element found in the tobacco fertilizers, and poly nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons.

Nutrition Triggered Cancer

Research has indicated that certain foods can cause cancer. Some of the cancers that are believed can be caused by nutrition are the stomach, bowel, lung, prostate and uterus cancers which are most likely to develop if the diet is high in fats and low in fruits, vegetables and fiber.

Some foods have been proven to be addictive and thus, the prove that food addiction is a reality. The main problem arises when a person becomes addicted with foods that are known to cause cancer. This will put the person at high risk of getting food addiction facilitated cancer. This is because a food addict will uncontrollably eat the addictive food and crave for the food every now and then. This rises the chances of cancer to the food addict. Some food additives have been proven to be carcinogenic and thus should be also avoided. The best way to avoid or limit the chances of cancer resulting from diet is by ensuring healthy eating. Ensure you eat balanced food and avoid the cancer causing foods.

In conclusion, we can generally conclude that the reason why addiction plays a role in cancer disease is because the addictive substance may be cancer causing and the addicted person cannot stop taking the substance despite these health threats. When someone is addicted with a substance known to cause cancer, the chances of getting cancer rises in the addict.

How Addiction Can Cause Cancer

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