Antioxidant Protection For Alcoholism
Topic: illness|Tags: Alcoholism, Antioxidant Protection, Antioxidants, body toxin, Daily Values, liver damage, natural antioxidant, nutrient loss, oxidative stress, supplemental program, vitamins C
Although alcohol devastates the body both directly as a toxin and indirectly through nutrient loss, scientists suspect that it may also affect the body’s natural antioxidant defenses.
Alcohol Abuse In Pregnacy
Antioxidants are substances that protect your body’s healthy molecules against damage by unstable molecules called free radicals. Heavy alcohol use not only increases the production of free radicals, but it also depletes stores of antioxidants, like vitamins C and E. That means that while those nasty rogue molecules are increasing exponentially, the natural warriors needed to fight them off are decreasing rapidly. This imbalance is called “oxidative stress.”
There is some experimental evidence that when combined with abstaining from alcohol, supplemental antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium may prevent the progression of liver damage. Many doctors who treat alcoholism put patients on a supplemental program designed around their own antioxidant deficiencies. However, everyone, from teetotalers to problem drinkers, will benefit by getting the Daily Values of antioxidants.
The recommended daily intake is 30 IU for vitamin E and 60 milligrams for vitamin C, and the Daily Value is 70 micrograms for selenium.
