Thiamine Before Glucose Always For Alcohol Addiction
Thiamine before Glucose Always For Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction has become chains of slave to many and economies are crippled because of this societal vice that has made many people incapable of even fending for themselves. Unfortunately alcoholism is not very easy to quit especially without professional help. Many people who try to stop alcoholism have to give in to the cravings for alcohol. Some may also be pulled back into alcoholism due to the withdrawal symptoms that may be hard to deal with. However hard dealing with alcohol addiction can be, there are numerous ways that medics can use to help an addict break the chain of addiction. One of the most important factors that will determine whether the addict will succeed in the fight against addiction is the willingness and commitment of the addict to put up with every advice of the doctors. One of the methods that doctors will use to help an addict is the use of thiamine.
What is thiamine?
Thiamine or Thiamin also known as Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. This vitamin is needed so that our bodies can use carbohydrates as energy. It is a necessity for glucose metabolism. Thiamine also plays an important role in nerve, muscle and heart function.
Thiamine is found in many foods such as yeast, cereal grains, beans, nuts, and meat. It is part of vitamin B vitamins with which it is often used in making vitamin B complex products. Vitamin B complexes generally include vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin/niacinamide), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), and folic acid.
There are situations when a person will require to take Thiamine, thiamine deficiency syndromes such as beriberi and neuritis that may arise during pregnancy require supplementation of thiamine. It is also used to treat digestive problems which may include ulcerative colitis, diarrhea and even poor appetite.
This vitamin has many uses, some of its uses include; it is used in vision problems like cataracts, it is also used by HIV patients as an immune booster, used in treating brain damage and in prevention of cervical cancer. It can still be used to enhance learning abilities and to enhance positive mental attitude. It also increases energy and is also useful in preventing memory loss.
Despite its many uses thiamine is widely used in treating a memory disorder known as Wernicke’s encephalopathy syndrome. However it has been found to be effective in fighting alcoholism which in itself is an indication of thiamine deficiency.
Alcoholism and glucose
Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health is a phrase that many people are familiar with. However many people do not know how it harms your health. To begin with addiction to alcohol lowers blood sugar level and that means there is energy deficiency. This is because the majority of alcohol metabolism takes place in the liver, which is also the primary location of glucose production. Because of this, alcohol intake can interfere with the liver’s production of glucose and may cause hypoglycemia to correct this situation there is need for glucose supplementation to restore energy levels. One of the ways through which the levels of energy can be increased in a person addicted to alcohol is to break down carbohydrates to release energy. Even if glucose can be supplied through other means there is something that is still needed to help the person break the glucose to release energy and that is where thiamine comes in. thiamine is necessary for glucose metabolism and so it is vital to supplement thiamine before supplementing glucose in a person addicted to alcohol.
Why it is necessary to give thiamin before glucose
The biological pathways will become unregulated when there are nutritional deficiencies. In this case the precursors of ATP production like glucose will be rapidly used by the cells. However there will be an inability by previously produced enzymes to help in the process of glycolysis to help in utilization of glucose so that ATP can be produced in normal levels. This will cause a backup in the system as a result of accumulation of intermediate products in the pathways. When this happens ATP will not be produced adequately, it will also cause accumulation of pyruvate which is the result of continued glycolysis, the pyruvates will be converted to lactic acid by the cells after failing to enter the TCA cycle. This is done to maintain glycolysis by generation of NAD+ which is necessary for generation of 2 ATP3. Therefore when you feed the cells more glucose without supplementing the needed thiamin to allow for complete ATP generation you will only increase generation of lactic acid. The acidic conditions, the inability of the pentose pathway to protect the cells from reactive oxygen species that damage the cells and he increased stress in the cells causes cell death or induces apoptosis.
To prevent this cell death it is vital to give thiamine first to enhance the utilization of the glucose supplemented to form ATP and prevent the generation lactic acid that may accelerate cell damage in the brain. In chronic alcoholism the degree of cell damage is high owing to thiamin deficiency. This will cause cognitive impairment as well as poor musculoskeletal coordination. The alcohol addict will risk death when the deficiency in thiamine is too severe. It is however good to note that thiamin deficiency cannot be corrected by single IV administration of thiamin. It will take long to correct the deficiency.
Finally, Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict. We advocate for natural healing to all kinds of addiction. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.
Thiamine before Glucose Always For Alcohol Addiction
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