Category: Addiction

Omega-3s May Alleviate Alcoholism, Psychiatric Disorders, and Eye Diseases

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Omega-3 fatty acids are known to help the heart and they have also been found to help defend against eye diseases like macular degeneration.

 

A study by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine shows that omega-3 fatty acids could also help people struggling with alcohol addiction or psychiatric disorders.  According to scientists, the DHA in the fatty acid was responsible for “normalizing behavior” in mice.  When taking DHA, mice were less likely to become depressed or manic when placed under stress.  Unexpectedly, the mice also lost their taste for alcohol when consuming DHA supplements.

We believe a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help the treatment and prevention of bipolar disorder, and may help with alcoholism as well,” says Alexander B. Niculescu, M.D., Ph.D.  Source: Science Daily, May 27, 2001

 

Acupuncture Can Aid Those Addicted to Opiates

A type of acupuncture that uses skin electrodes to apply electrical stimulation at different points on the body called transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) may help people suffering from an addiction to opioid drugs.

A type of  acupuncture that uses skin electrodes to apply electrical stimulation at different points on the body called transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) may help people suffering from an addiction to opioid drugs.  The study, overseen by Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital near Boston, showed that patients who received acupuncture in combination with their prescribed withdrawal medications were only 29% likely to return to drug use while 2/3 those who did not receive acupuncture took up the habit again.

In addition, patients in the active TEAS group reported they were less bothered by pain and that they experienced greater improvements in overall health.

Source: http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/010410.htm?nav=rss