Chronic alcoholic patients are frequently deficient in one or more vitamins. The deficiencies commonly involve folate, vitamin B6, thiamine, and vitamin A. Although inadequate dietary intake is a major cause of the vitamin deficiency, other possible mechanisms may also be involved.
One of the most common and serous types of alcohol-related vitamin deficiency is lack of B vitamins like Thiamine, which is an essential vitamin for neurobiological health.
People with alcoholism become deficient in folic acid due to poor dietary intake of folate sources such as green vegetables and whole grains that are often fortified with folate. It is also thought that alcohol inhibits folate absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.
Drinking alcohol regularly for more than two weeks decreases vitamin B12 absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin B deficiency has been noticed in people who report suffering from depression.
Alcoholics have been found to have deficiencies in calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Research shows that drinking alcohol itself does not limit the absorption of minerals, but alcohol-related problems do.
In alcoholics, several factors may contribute to thiamine deficiency. First, nutritional thiamine deficiency can occur in alcoholics because of their poor eating habits. Alcoholics may eat nothing for days, and when they do eat, their food often is high in carbohydrates and low in vitamins such as thiamine.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can indeed lead to weight gain. But the weight gain is not a direct result of the deficiency. Instead, vitamin B12 deficiency causes lethargy or lack of energy, and in turn, inactivity causes weight gain. When you lack the energy to move, you don't burn fat.
An important mechanism in alcohol-induced injury is biomolecular oxidative damage. Folic acid is supplied to chronic alcoholic patients in order to prevent this situation, as this is the main vitamin deficiency that they suffer from.
Vitamin C
One of the many risk factors for vitamin C (including the three forms of vitamin C) and E insufficiency is excessive alcohol intake [58,59]. Vitamin C and E levels are decreased in alcoholics [60].
With heavy alcohol intake, there can be a loss of magnesium from tissues and increased urinary loss (Pasqualetti et al., 1987; Shane and Flink, 1991). Chronic alcohol abuse has been reported to deplete the total body supply of magnesium (Vandemergel and Simon, 2015).
Drinking water should be your first port of call before even thinking about food. Drinking alcohol severely dehydrates you, which means your clever body will begin drawing hydration stores from places including your brain (hello headache). This is why it's so important to replenish the level of water in your system.
Most patients who develop electrolyte imbalance, metabolic acidosis, and hyponatremia are admitted to hospital. However, clinical symptoms of chronic alcohol consumption are also decreased levels of phosphate, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium, and other elements in blood plasma [8,9,10].
Although studies have suggested that a low vitamin D level in chronic alcoholics is due to malabsorption, poor dietary intake, lack of sunlight exposure, or a direct effect of alcohol on vitamin metabolism [11,12], malabsorption of vitamin D, decreased levels of vitamin-D binding protein, or a reduction in the ability ...
Lack of vitamin B1 is common in people who have alcohol use disorder. It is also common in people whose bodies do not absorb food properly (malabsorption). This can sometimes occur with a chronic illness or after weight-loss (bariatric) surgery.
There's no solid proof that vitamin B-12 shots, also called injections, help you lose weight. Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble B complex vitamin. It's found naturally in many foods, such as meat, fish and dairy products. Vitamin B-12 is added to some foods and is available as a dietary supplement.
Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia is usually treated with injections of vitamin B12, called hydroxocobalamin. At first, you'll have these injections every other day for 2 weeks or until your symptoms have started improving. Your GP or nurse will give the injections.
Fatigue. Megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B-12 deficiency may lead to a person feeling fatigued. Without enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around their body, a person can feel extremely tired.
Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including: Steatosis, or fatty liver. Alcoholic hepatitis.
Known Specific Risk Factors
Having a biological family member with alcoholism or drug addiction. Having a mental health condition such as bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety. Experiencing peer pressure to drink, especially as a young adult. Having low self-esteem or self-worth.