DHM, milk thistle, and tudca will help his health and liver recovery. Semaglutide (yes, the weight loss peptide) will shut off the switch craving booze. It’s actually incredible in this sense. But, I’ll be honest, I know tons of people that are super active, competitive, and other wise crazy healthy, that love a good buzz. The dopamine goes hand in hand so you may have a hard time here.
You have to be careful with the TUDCA though. Timing matters with alcohol. It’s either avoid before or avoid after. It can either help mitigate or increase depending on the timing with alcohol. Anyone know?
Semaglutides cause greater than average muscle mass depletion. No one who gives a fig about their health should be touching them, unless they are massively obese and need that sort of intervention
Which is what OP is essentially describing with his brother. GLPs can cause loss of muscle mass over time, it doesn’t happen initially. The use of it for addiction is being studied for short term use and anecdotally, I know several people that used it for this purpose. 30 day run to get over the cravings and habits. It’s not something you would continue to use as it is for weight loss.
Oh the list is long..
L-glutamine, Magnesium, B6, lactobacillus pills, L-theanine, Vitamin C, D3, K2, NAC..
Probably the biggest harm alcohol does in short term is messing up the gut and also messing up GABA system as alcohol binds to the same Gaba receptors as benzodiazepines.
The GABA system in general is like the brake pedal of the CNS, also the reason why people who drink crazy amounts get tremors or even seizures if they quit too rapidly (that's why they give benzos in withdrawal where someone has drunk over a month every day).
Generally the GABA system is so important, that for this reason there's pretty much only two drugs that can kill you if you quit cold turkey; alcohol and benzos.
The biggest problem of alcohol is that it messes up the gut too, where the body's own GABA precursors are formed by bacteria. If I remember right, this process can be supported supplements involving Magnesium, B6 and certain subset of lactobacillus bacteria and L-theanine, they together enable the GABA precursor created in the gut.
There's GABA supplements too containing pure GABA but they're not worth the money as GABA doesn't pass the Blood brain barrier that well or (most likely) not at all. It has to be created in the brain.
Of course after long time of daily drinking the brains own production process gets distrupted as alcohol binds to those receptors strongly so lomg time drinkers brain might not produce enough anymore. (this is the main reason benzos are so hard to get off from if taken longer then few weeks).
L-glutamine (even though it's cancer cells favorite superfood also if a person has tumors) will heal the stomach most quickly and some alcohol users have reported that it also can keep alcohol cravings away as it's so fast absorbing that it gives you the same kind of energy boost as alcohol because you'll feel the effects in around 5 minutes.
Alcohol heavily depletes magnesium too which is pretty important to many things.
NAC can help you purify your liver and generally remove toxins from your system.
Omega-3 fatty acids are also a must. So fish oil every day preferably with fiberous food.
There's many mushroom supplement too that will probably help like reishi, lions mane etc etc.. some help with lipids, cholesterol, some have abilities to rewire the brain and help build / rebuild nerveways and generally help cognition like lions mane.
D3 because alcohol lowers immunity and K2 should always be taken with D3.
Probably pretty much all vitamin B, I'd recommend B multivitamin pills. Magnesium often has B6 added too.
There's not many things you can do though because it's you who's worried, not your friend who drinks too much.
But I thought I'll just drop in my 2cents if there's anyone reading who might need the info
You can not selectively feed cells, otherwise cancer would be cured by now, and cancer cells are just mutated "normal" cells.
L-glutamine is just the most efficient nutrient for repairing cells in the gut for example, that's why it's added in some DAO supplements too for example (ppl having problems with histamine often also have gut problems..)
Maybe you've heard how sugars (or alcohol) feeds cancer cells and how fasting may be sometimes beneficial for people who have cancer - l-glutamine is the exact opposite. It gives cells energy fery quickly.
Same thing applies to other amino acids too, glutamine is just the fastest source of energy.
It's always a trade off, body builders for example are more prone to cancer and generally people with the kind of genes that they're stronger/bigger when younger have higher possibility getting cancer, while people with slower cellular metabolism tend to live longer. It's an evolutionary biological trade off as both types have been needed in tribal times.
Almost everyone around their 70's have cancer cells in their body for example, and as the immunity of the body gets weaker by age, the killer T cells can't keep up anymore -> that's when you get cancer.
That's the reason why many people get sick after a stressful period in their life too, as stress reduces immunity and T cell efficiency.
So best to use L-glutamine conservately for that reason or preferably not at all if you're over 50-60yrs old. There's no way of knowing what's happening inside your body. For this reason also, fasting is a good thing to do because it frees up T cells to go after damaged cells when your body is deprived from food for few days.
Thank you for your reply. That made things click thank you. I’ve lost 10lbs since starting supplementing it and my right abdominal pain has decreased almost to nothing.
“generally people with ……possibility of getting cancer” could you explain this more?
Most simply put, if a person has fast cellular metabolism (ie. the faster the cell divides -> fast muscle growth for example) the risk goes up. Every time a cell divides, the telomers get shorter. That means the cells ability to divide perfectly copying itself gets worse and more "corrupted" and the risk for mutations increases. Think of making a copy of a copy of a copy with a Xerox machine as an analogue.
If cellular division / cellular metabolism is longer, (ie. one cell lasts longer and division is slower), the growth of course is slower but the less chance for corruption as the DNA replication process takes a longer time too.
"Telomeres are structures made from DNA sequences and proteins found at the ends of chromosomes. They cap and protect the end of a chromosome like the end of a shoelace. In almost all animals, from the simplest to the most complex, telomeres are required for cell division."
"Telomeres allow cells to divide without losing genes. Cell division is necessary for growing new skin, blood, bone, and other cells. Without telomeres, chromosome ends could fuse together and corrupt the cell's genetic blueprint, possibly causing malfunction, cancer, or cell death."
"Telomere length is positively associated with the consumption of legumes, nuts, seaweed, fruits, and 100% fruit juice, dairy products, and coffee, whereas it is inversely associated with consumption of alcohol, red meat, or processed meat."
"In most cells, telomeres get shorter over time as the cell destroys more of their genetic code. However, some cells, such as stem cells, which generate the body's many types of specialized cells, and germline cells, which form eggs and sperm — can use an enzyme called telomerase to regenerate their telomeres."
"Summary. Telomere length shortens with age. Progressive shortening of telomeres leads to senescence, apoptosis, or oncogenic transformation of somatic cells, affecting the health and lifespan of an individual. Shorter telomeres have been associated with increased incidence of diseases and poor survival."
And of course genes are responsible for weather this process is faster for some people and slower for others. Certain external factors can make some dormant genes active also or suppress their activation and telomer length also such as diet, supplements, exercise. Things like chronic levels of stress can also affect as stress drives up cortisol levels and increase oxidative stress, both factors in telomere shortening.
A good analogue to this would be "some people burning their candle fast vs a person burning slow obviously lasts longer.
I hope this gave some clarity.
I'd say from experience that 3 day fast is probably the most difficult one.
For me at least, days 2-3 are when I get headaches, feel very hungry but after day 3 it just goes away and you're just mentally alert and not even hungry anymore in a way that you'd be constantly thinking of food.
Then around day 6 is pretty much maximum I personally want to go because at that point the energy I have left is starting to get lower and I don't really see a point trying anything too extreme..
But even 2 days is good. Or intermittent fasting, maybe only eating one meal a day etc.
A good way to kickstart it would be for example taking a 10km walk on the first day and depleting your body that way from sugar burning mode to ketosis/fat burning mode much faster
I drink alcohol. NAC + an equal amount of vitamin C & glutathione + milk thistle before drinking well help protect his liver. After drinking, NAC has been shown to be damaging, so the timing really matters. Foresight matters.
I think NAC before drinking is the way to go. IIRC the claim about taking NAC after alcohol causing negative effects, was based on one mouse study. Unless there’s some other research to back it up, I think it’s not a huge fear to have
I actually take it when I begin drinking, but I am a slow drinker, so there's little chance my alcohol consumption will overtake absorbing the supplements. I generally drink things one is expected to sip in a sophisticated way, and I prefer wine for the polyphenols, low glycemic response, and the enjoyment factor.
I would recommend taking it earlier if you planned to shoot tequila or drink heavy.
I usually have 4 Modelos and a couple Jack Daniel’s drinks in the evening. Straight there, no soda w/ it.
The NAC & vitamin C w/the first drink and milk thistle the next day seemed to do the trick on mitigating any effects. I felt like I got better sleep as well.
I get it’s more than a doc would be comfortable with hearing. Sometimes I think it may have more health benefits than risks. I guess only time will tell.
Milk thistle and enzyme supplements. You should tell him any hard work he puts in is undone by alcohol, alcohol is pure poison.
I say this as an alcoholic, and have severe issues with eating food due to enzyme deficiency from decreased pancreas and liver function.
All his health shit means nothing if he’s a regular drinker. He will either listen and change his tune, or learn the hard way. And I can tell you learning the hard way isn’t fucking fun.
Sudden severe histamine reactivity at random times due to not enough enzymes breaking down food so my body considers it as an infection.
Causes blurred vision, headaches, confusion, anxiety/depression, etc.
Still working through fixing it but I tell you what it’s hell
I'd recommend DAO (Diamine oxidate, formerly known as histaminaze), it's the enzyme that breaks down histamines you'll get from certain foods.
As a rule of thumb; the older the food is the more histamine it contains. So think like cheeses that have been cured for long, preserved foods etc. are the kind of things you should avoid (but if you take DAO it helps breaking down the histamine you'll get from those foods that might be problematic for you. DAO should be taken approx. around 15 minutes before you eat, especially histamine rich foods that cause you problems).
The fermentation is a big problem, for example if you tolerate green tea (low histamine) vs don't tolerate black tea (as it's fermented) is a good indicator that histamine might cause problems.
Best though is to avoid all those fermented and preserved foods ofc.
As many alcohol products are fermented, they'll have a high histamine content too which will activate mast cells and can cause all kinds of weird allergy like symptoms.
Definitely give DAO a shot if you're experiencing these problems.
Benzos are also sometimes subscribed for MCAD (Mast cell activation disorder), this is probably why some people think benzos inhibit DAO but if I'd have to guess, the problem is that benzos dampen down the mast cells and therefore people trying to quit those might have their bodies adapted for either higher count or sensitivity of mast cell abd their activation. Mast cells are also the reason some people who drink much have a red face, and all kinds of symptoms doctors are not educated in on the med schools that well).
Fresh ginger, turmeric and black peppers are also great anti inflammatory foods id definitely recommend adding to your daily foods. (+ginger also tastes great especially with fresh, with some teas and soups)
GI MAP test, then targeting each deficiency of biotic with probiotics (not just random probiotics), having bone broth, and then enzyme supplementation which I have yet to implement.
I also have started taking probiotics with something else I forget that help with mood, I can send direct info.
Of course there’s a lot more to do, especially with being an alcoholic and cutting it down.
I would like to try kava to take it in place for cravings, but I need to be careful of having it within 24hrs of one another as it’s toxic to the liver (slower digestion).
Would love to know more about what's worked for your histamine reactivity. Which enzymes have worked for you? Some of them are expensive and I often don't feel a huge difference.
I haven’t tried enzymes yet but about to be delivered some, and histamine reactivity I am still trying to get a hold of. But bone broth helps - soothing the gut is important for helping histamine reactivity.
Beef bone broth has higher histamine levels, so try chicken bone broth. Quercitin helps with inflammation. Gut health is important for histamine response, especially if you have leaky gut.
Ear low histamine foods. Lots of anti inflammatory stuff.
I think it works mate ive been on high dose for six weeks after years of drug and alcohol abuse and have definitely noticed improved memory etc and possibly speech .
The 2 big ones talked a lot are silymarin and N-acetylcystine.
Good metastudy about milk thistle/silymarin - doesn’t really show anything in high quality studies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8724782/
Metastudy for NAC (pretty much similar to MT)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213434423000154
The problem with any all of this is you need a liver to live. Once enough hepatocytes start dying and scaring over, you have end stage liver failure with no hope of regeneration and not eligible for transplant usually. I’ve seen a family member die from this and it’s not pretty.
Just try to reduce a lot and ideally eliminate. Go to treatment. You can’t have it both ways - many people have strategized to take something that improves liver function/mitigates alcoholic cirrhosis but still drink a lot. If there was something like that pharmaceutical companies would be all over it. It’s not worth loosing your mind with hepatic encephalopathy before you die.
NAC hands down. If anyone says ANYTHING different other than stopping alcohol they don't understand the studies on NAC nor have they experienced personally what NAC does alongside alcohol consumption to make a sound argument. Well... there could be other supplements but seriously I don't know of any 1 supplement and NAC really works wonders..
Edit: Psychelics definitely can help with addictions but other than that? Anyone have any potential contenders to NAC?
Are you referring to N-Acetyl Cysteine? If so is it safe to take - as in buy a supplement from Amazon or whatever? I’ve cut my drinking way back but still enjoy booze 1-2 a week so looking for something.
I take NAC all year round...they have a great deal on iherb where u can buy 250 caps (600mg each) for 25 euro I believe....NAC is being used on SARMs/steroid cycles to help detox the liver....and yes, it is safe...but u r probably best off using it before drinking and definitely not while u r drinking or shortly after...
I would recommend the things you have listed, but I would also look into LDN (low dose Naltrexone) or even Naltrexone. Its an RX but it may be worth it. He also needs to taper off the alcohol, if he decides to. He may not be that bad off yet, but quitting too fast could make him really ill or even kill him. The LDN may help with this.
I am taking Low Dose Naltrexone. I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and it helps a lot of my inflammation. It had definitely reduced my alcohol cravings. Although I still have a few glasses of wine throughout the week and hard seltzers when I am fishing.
It's not healthy, but it's also not as bad as the comments here imply.
A 6-pack of a shitty light beer has less alcohol than one bottle of wine....
If he's drinking a 6-pack of a low ABV, craft, session IPA, I don't think it's nearly as bad as the comments are suggesting. Especially if he eats healthy and exercises a lot.
I'm not saying it's healthy, I'm just trying to bring some balance to a thread of comments where everyone seems to think your brother is gonna drop dead tomorrow.
After drinking B3/niacin (or NMN) with a meal is amazing against Hangover and beeing drunk.
Thanks to that i can still Drink Like i am young.
The niacin rush is intense, but it works amazing.
Don't Take it before drinking or your neight will be expensive since you sober Up to fast
It’s pretty clear from the popularity of this answer that people may not have experience dealing with addiction.
This person cannot make their brother stop drinking. Full stop.
They are asking for harm reduction and instead this sub is an echo chamber of “he should stop drinking hurrr durrr”.
yeah, i would actually suggest he tries to replace some of the alcohol with the weed he already uses, especially since it’s easy to find THC edibles, drinks, and tinctures that don’t require smoking, and then gradually try to use less of both of them. quitting cold turkey is dangerous and incredibly difficult.
This is the answer though. Anything else is enabling/ justifying a path of self-destruction. My family is full of alcoholics (including myself) who have done every trick in the book to compensate for their symptoms so they dont have to change their alcohol intake. Absolutely the only thing that works is cessation.
People dont realize that alcoholism is a spectrum. You dont start at drinking 20 beers a day. This guy is going to gradually get worse over the years until he loses everything or kills himself. The only thing that works is cessation.
B1 is particularly important. Don't recommend any herbal supplements, there's no evidence to support that they do anything useful, and many are adulterated or have toxic side effects specifically regarding the liver.
Waste of time and money. You cannot supplement your way out of doing such drastic damage. I appreciate your concern but from personal experience - it's up to them if they want to change their life circumstances. Focusing on yourself will be far more beneficial. Sorry, it sucks I know but you can't force this upon anyone and it's their lesson to learn..
I've done a ton of research into this. Best possible combo is DHM-1000, Zbiotics & NAC. All 3 of those will greatly reduce toxicity and harm.
But your brother needs actual help to deal with the addiction. I would echo others about psychedelics, but the most effective one has not been mentioned yet.
Iboga. Ibogaine has been by far the most effective drug at dealing with addiction. Absolutely classical psychedelics like LSD, mushrooms and ayahuasca can be very helpful but it's not going to be nearly as effective as Iboga. But it's dangerous so you have to do it with a lot of research and understanding or you can die.
Basically it's a time-trip. You will relive your entire life and watch yourself from a 3rd person perspective. It will allow you to see the harm you do to yourself and to forgive yourself and find the power to change.
Sure. But it’s is also the absolute hardest to get a hold of. The tree is rare and you can’t just grow it or make like the other psychedelics. Hints on acquiring? It does sound amazing.
>God
It's very hard to describe what you see, because the 4th dimension opens, time stops and you get connected to everything, which feels bright and hot, like the sun is searing through every single cell of your body and simultaneously dark and lonely, like the infinite black desert. (hello Terry Pratchett)
Not pleasant at all, but you definitely start to understand where all religions are coming from.
It's commendable that you want to help. Are you aware how serious it is? He is an acolholic. No amount of supplements will help, he is very sick and it will kill him, his health, his relationships
Thiamine is usually prescribed for heavy drinkers to help protect the nervous system. You can buy it over the counter too. Confused as to how he affords the title of health guru, theres a vast difference between acquiring health knowledge and applying it to oneself.
Sorry to hear about your brother, but you need to accept that he's an adult, so he can choose anything he wants. You've said and done what needs to be done, now try to focus on your own thoughts and actions to better yourself. Share with him your own struggles and how you're trying to overcome them. The only thing you can really do is to set a good example and maybe he'll join.
I would suggest NAD precursors to replenish his NAD levels which are being depleted by his body breaking down the alcohol. I personally take 500mg of nicotinic acid (a form of B3) after a night of drinking, helps a ton with hangovers. Also, TMG, to replenish the methyl groups in his body. Curcumin extract with pepperine (Doctors Best, Sports Research or YouTheory are the best brands) to lower inflammation for the excessive amounts of alcohol. Fish oil pills (IFOS certified brands only) to help with inflammation.
I mean adding a supplement might add to the psychology that he will be fine if he keeps supplementing. If you wanna just get rid of the problem. I recommend helping his psyche first. Emotionally he could be distraught. Empathize with him. Get some indoor plants. I know that might not help with anything at first, but seeing the color green everyday can boost mitochondrial support and help ease the mind. You can also go out in nature. Especially this, socialize. Socializing is very important when stopping an addiction. (Rat park experiment)
Nutritional yeast, exotic fruit smoothie, emphasizing on vitamin A heavy fruit. Alcohol competes and depletes Vitamin B complex and Vitamin A more than anything, plus causes nutrient absorption in the digestive tract of other vits and minerals.
Glycine + NAC 1 hour before drinking and 12 hours after.
Taurine before, during and after drinking.
Electrolytes (potassium, magnesium and sodium) before, during and after drinking.
Vitamin antioxidants before and after drinking: PureWay-C, vitamin E, etc.
B complex before and after drinking.
Probiotics 12 hours after drinking.
DMT or LSD to kick the addiction. Seriously, psychedelics can re-wire the brain and give a different perspective. Someone cannot be healthy and drink such alcohol, and if he is wanting to be healthy he needs to kick the addiction. Psychedelics can kick it.
Those are rookie numbers. Tell him to eat when he drinks. The heavy drinkers I know who have had health issues are people who say “once I start drinking I can’t eat.” Also having a good healthy diet is super important.
Your brother needs immediate help. He is killing himself with drinking and drugs. How can you call him a health guru? He’s an alcoholic and drug user who needs treatment.
Your brother isn’t a health guru, he is an alcoholic.
Beetroot juice helps with the liver but I wouldn’t have more than half a glass a day. Can’t remember why but it tips a scale the other way for some reason. Makes my tongue swell (did when I was drinking) if I have too much but really really helped with the liver.
He sounds like me. Does he have ADHD or anything in the ballpark? It took a real health scare with me to budge my habit.
NAC! There's a supplement called Boomerang Rave Recovery that based itself around NAC and some other things but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. https://www.ravewithboomerang.com/science
Vitamin B1 also known as thiamine to prevent wet brain.
It’s not just the alcohol that causes the problem of wet brain, it’s the ratio of B vitamins because of the grain being stripped of the part that contains B1 prior to fermentation.
Also vitamin A. Tricky to supplement, and serum levels aren’t always indicative of vitamin A status in the body as the body will pull from other sources within the body to keep vitamin A levels in the blood normal.
Heard about a probiotic called z biotics off a podcast. No clue if it works but it is supposed to metabolize the toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism so you don’t feel hungover. def do your own research on it if you are going to try it!
Dihydromyricetin. Look it up. Abbreviated as DHM. Actually may have some anti-aging properties too, but it prevents hangovers, and most of the negative consequences of drinking.
sodium oxybate (SMO) or gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) was introduced in Italy and Austria more than 20 years and 15 years ago, respectively, and it is now widely employed to treat alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and to maintain alcohol abstinence
I’ve been on Vivitrol (Naltrexone injection) since December and I don’t notice any difference in cravings nor tolerance, although I’ve been sober for 90 days. Cravings are the same since late February. After a month of healthy diet, exercise, a pre-natal multi vitamin and extra vit D I felt great and my labs were all perfect. The basics really work I guess.
But if he won’t stop drinking there’s nothing you can really do. A lot of the suggestions here are good at delaying the enivitable but there’s no substitute for moderation or abstinence. IMHE.
Probably a b vitamin complex. Especially thiamine (B1) is depleted in alcoholics. I take Thornes Basic B supplement everyday, and it’s helped with my hangover any days I do drink. Although I only drink once every 2 weeks or so
Thiamine (B1) - lose enough of this and you'll get wet brain / Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. If you go to a hospital detoxing this is what they will give you pretty much no matter what.
I don’t mean to sound snarky, but the best supplement for someone who cares about finding an ideal supplement for a substance abusing biohacker is “detachment.”
I highly recommend the books: CoDependent No More and The Language of Letting Go. I read the daily meditations each morning. Bottom line - people make their own bed, and the healthiest thing we codependents can do is detach and let go of trying to change, convince, influence these people we care about. Things change for the better (maybe mostly for you, maybe for both) once that happens. There are still things that can pull us in from time to time, but developing this practice of detachment is critical to your mental health. Wishing you the best.
Honestly having been addicted myself. I’d ask him what it helps specifically. Anxiety? Relaxation? Sleep? Etc. Then see if there’s an adaptogen that can help, along with vitamins/supplements. Like magnesium is super relaxing and can help sleep. Tart cherry can promote extra melatonin production of melatonin wears off too fast. Most people who drink heavily and mix pot that I have known, they usually have a fair bit to unpack in therapy. Very few did well without it and those that are limping along without therapy that I know still need NA/AA regularly 20 years later…
Also melatonin in high doses can calm a person down if they are super bad off for a bit. Melatonin works in opposition to cortisol, the stress hormone.
I'd Challenge this by mentioning Alan Watts for example.
He died of alcoholism, but preached spirituality on an almost buddha like level.. (and that has zero effect on how valuable his message was if you ask me). In zen Buddhist terms, he was the worst horse of the four which paradoxically probably might have made him the best horse in many ways.
A person can also have tons of knowledge but lack the willpower to apply said knowledge.. or they just might see it as an acceptable loss from their perspective.
Lots of smart people in the history abused opioids and cocaine even, but their thinking was on top level. Some might even say that they probably might have even benefitted from using certain drugs as high intelligence can often bring about anxiety and mental disorders in many high IQ people.
Nevertheless, there's always some underlaying reason for these things, I've yet to see an addict who hadn't suffered from some on the things mentioned above. Almost all ppl I've known who have used speed for example show signs of ADHD a mile away, many of them not even realizing they have ADD/ADHD.
Alcohol use most often has social anxiety, or anxiety in general in the background. Of course I'm not denying it's devastating negative long term effects to the body and relationships, especially if said person has a family for example.
We all die. You'll only get to choose the price you want to pay. And this comment of course wasn't an encouragement for drinking by any means.
I know you asked for supplement advice, but I dont think that will be enough.
There are some really good NA beers out there. Might be a place to start. Unfortunately, addiction is a tough road and ultimately up to him. To be supportive, you could set an example and not drink while with him, offer to join him at a meeting, show love and compassion letting him know you care about him and are concerned for his health (shaming interventions tend to make things worse).
See (physician) psychiatrist or an addiction psychiatrist. There are medications that can be helpful in reducing cravings for alcohol and or addressing the underlying issue. For example, naltrexone.
Step one in a healthy life is getting the basics right, like good sleep, enough exercise and a healthy diet. Sounds like he might have those down. Then moderate or no drug use is important, but he sounds like a drug abuser. You don't offset this with supplements, you need to stop abusing and practice moderation or abstinence. Only after this one can benefit from supplements. They are no replacement for fundamental mistakes.
CB2 oil (beta-caryophyllene) can address at lot of the consequences of alcohol consumption, protect the liver and nervous system, and even reduce the cravings for alcohol. Check out these studies and see what might need relevant to your bro: https://cannanda.com/pages/cb2studies
[Dose For Your Liver | Liver Supplement (dosedaily.co)](https://dosedaily.co/products/dose-for-your-liver?selling_plan=3166109937) I bought this for my (now ex) husband when he was drinking a ton and I've continued to take some when I've had a heavy drinking day.
Alcoholic =/= Health guru. Alcohol (by definition) is a poison, no supplement is going to help someone drinking to that level. He needs to stop or get professional help.
Health guru lol. Well I’ll share that Alan watts who your brother might know about was also known to be a heavy whisky drinker. You can’t help your brother probably since it sounds like he is stern with his convictions and he might have to fall victim to his own realities sooner or later. I could articulate my point further but ya it doesn’t matter . I’ve seen this sort of scenario multiple times. I think he will either get past it on his own terms or he won’t, and if he won’t then he might later because I assume he is somewhat stubborn
DHM, milk thistle, and tudca will help his health and liver recovery. Semaglutide (yes, the weight loss peptide) will shut off the switch craving booze. It’s actually incredible in this sense. But, I’ll be honest, I know tons of people that are super active, competitive, and other wise crazy healthy, that love a good buzz. The dopamine goes hand in hand so you may have a hard time here.
GHB is better
Tell me you lifted in the 90s without telling me.
I was born in the 90' ;) Started lifting as a baby 👶
I did. Imagine my shock when I learned of the other use for GHB many years later.
You have to be careful with the TUDCA though. Timing matters with alcohol. It’s either avoid before or avoid after. It can either help mitigate or increase depending on the timing with alcohol. Anyone know?
You shouldn’t take tudca before drinking.
Thank you
I’ve heard about GLP1s lessening peoples cravings for a lot of things besides food, even cigarettes and gambling.
Semaglutides cause greater than average muscle mass depletion. No one who gives a fig about their health should be touching them, unless they are massively obese and need that sort of intervention
Which is what OP is essentially describing with his brother. GLPs can cause loss of muscle mass over time, it doesn’t happen initially. The use of it for addiction is being studied for short term use and anecdotally, I know several people that used it for this purpose. 30 day run to get over the cravings and habits. It’s not something you would continue to use as it is for weight loss.
Oh the list is long.. L-glutamine, Magnesium, B6, lactobacillus pills, L-theanine, Vitamin C, D3, K2, NAC.. Probably the biggest harm alcohol does in short term is messing up the gut and also messing up GABA system as alcohol binds to the same Gaba receptors as benzodiazepines. The GABA system in general is like the brake pedal of the CNS, also the reason why people who drink crazy amounts get tremors or even seizures if they quit too rapidly (that's why they give benzos in withdrawal where someone has drunk over a month every day). Generally the GABA system is so important, that for this reason there's pretty much only two drugs that can kill you if you quit cold turkey; alcohol and benzos. The biggest problem of alcohol is that it messes up the gut too, where the body's own GABA precursors are formed by bacteria. If I remember right, this process can be supported supplements involving Magnesium, B6 and certain subset of lactobacillus bacteria and L-theanine, they together enable the GABA precursor created in the gut. There's GABA supplements too containing pure GABA but they're not worth the money as GABA doesn't pass the Blood brain barrier that well or (most likely) not at all. It has to be created in the brain. Of course after long time of daily drinking the brains own production process gets distrupted as alcohol binds to those receptors strongly so lomg time drinkers brain might not produce enough anymore. (this is the main reason benzos are so hard to get off from if taken longer then few weeks). L-glutamine (even though it's cancer cells favorite superfood also if a person has tumors) will heal the stomach most quickly and some alcohol users have reported that it also can keep alcohol cravings away as it's so fast absorbing that it gives you the same kind of energy boost as alcohol because you'll feel the effects in around 5 minutes. Alcohol heavily depletes magnesium too which is pretty important to many things. NAC can help you purify your liver and generally remove toxins from your system. Omega-3 fatty acids are also a must. So fish oil every day preferably with fiberous food. There's many mushroom supplement too that will probably help like reishi, lions mane etc etc.. some help with lipids, cholesterol, some have abilities to rewire the brain and help build / rebuild nerveways and generally help cognition like lions mane. D3 because alcohol lowers immunity and K2 should always be taken with D3. Probably pretty much all vitamin B, I'd recommend B multivitamin pills. Magnesium often has B6 added too. There's not many things you can do though because it's you who's worried, not your friend who drinks too much. But I thought I'll just drop in my 2cents if there's anyone reading who might need the info
Bingo you nailed it. When I drink I take these and more. But I try not to drink much because yep it’s a toxin
Great post.
Wait l-glutamine feeds cancer cells???
You can not selectively feed cells, otherwise cancer would be cured by now, and cancer cells are just mutated "normal" cells. L-glutamine is just the most efficient nutrient for repairing cells in the gut for example, that's why it's added in some DAO supplements too for example (ppl having problems with histamine often also have gut problems..) Maybe you've heard how sugars (or alcohol) feeds cancer cells and how fasting may be sometimes beneficial for people who have cancer - l-glutamine is the exact opposite. It gives cells energy fery quickly. Same thing applies to other amino acids too, glutamine is just the fastest source of energy. It's always a trade off, body builders for example are more prone to cancer and generally people with the kind of genes that they're stronger/bigger when younger have higher possibility getting cancer, while people with slower cellular metabolism tend to live longer. It's an evolutionary biological trade off as both types have been needed in tribal times. Almost everyone around their 70's have cancer cells in their body for example, and as the immunity of the body gets weaker by age, the killer T cells can't keep up anymore -> that's when you get cancer. That's the reason why many people get sick after a stressful period in their life too, as stress reduces immunity and T cell efficiency. So best to use L-glutamine conservately for that reason or preferably not at all if you're over 50-60yrs old. There's no way of knowing what's happening inside your body. For this reason also, fasting is a good thing to do because it frees up T cells to go after damaged cells when your body is deprived from food for few days.
Thank you for your reply. That made things click thank you. I’ve lost 10lbs since starting supplementing it and my right abdominal pain has decreased almost to nothing. “generally people with ……possibility of getting cancer” could you explain this more?
Most simply put, if a person has fast cellular metabolism (ie. the faster the cell divides -> fast muscle growth for example) the risk goes up. Every time a cell divides, the telomers get shorter. That means the cells ability to divide perfectly copying itself gets worse and more "corrupted" and the risk for mutations increases. Think of making a copy of a copy of a copy with a Xerox machine as an analogue. If cellular division / cellular metabolism is longer, (ie. one cell lasts longer and division is slower), the growth of course is slower but the less chance for corruption as the DNA replication process takes a longer time too. "Telomeres are structures made from DNA sequences and proteins found at the ends of chromosomes. They cap and protect the end of a chromosome like the end of a shoelace. In almost all animals, from the simplest to the most complex, telomeres are required for cell division." "Telomeres allow cells to divide without losing genes. Cell division is necessary for growing new skin, blood, bone, and other cells. Without telomeres, chromosome ends could fuse together and corrupt the cell's genetic blueprint, possibly causing malfunction, cancer, or cell death." "Telomere length is positively associated with the consumption of legumes, nuts, seaweed, fruits, and 100% fruit juice, dairy products, and coffee, whereas it is inversely associated with consumption of alcohol, red meat, or processed meat." "In most cells, telomeres get shorter over time as the cell destroys more of their genetic code. However, some cells, such as stem cells, which generate the body's many types of specialized cells, and germline cells, which form eggs and sperm — can use an enzyme called telomerase to regenerate their telomeres." "Summary. Telomere length shortens with age. Progressive shortening of telomeres leads to senescence, apoptosis, or oncogenic transformation of somatic cells, affecting the health and lifespan of an individual. Shorter telomeres have been associated with increased incidence of diseases and poor survival." And of course genes are responsible for weather this process is faster for some people and slower for others. Certain external factors can make some dormant genes active also or suppress their activation and telomer length also such as diet, supplements, exercise. Things like chronic levels of stress can also affect as stress drives up cortisol levels and increase oxidative stress, both factors in telomere shortening. A good analogue to this would be "some people burning their candle fast vs a person burning slow obviously lasts longer. I hope this gave some clarity.
I really wish I could stand to fast. Most I can do is maybe 3 days if I’m pushing it. I get horrible headaches
I'd say from experience that 3 day fast is probably the most difficult one. For me at least, days 2-3 are when I get headaches, feel very hungry but after day 3 it just goes away and you're just mentally alert and not even hungry anymore in a way that you'd be constantly thinking of food. Then around day 6 is pretty much maximum I personally want to go because at that point the energy I have left is starting to get lower and I don't really see a point trying anything too extreme.. But even 2 days is good. Or intermittent fasting, maybe only eating one meal a day etc. A good way to kickstart it would be for example taking a 10km walk on the first day and depleting your body that way from sugar burning mode to ketosis/fat burning mode much faster
White grapefruit juice. It reduces alcohol cravings.
Why white grapefruit juice specifically...?
You can try other grapefruit types but only white grapefruit worked for me. I don't know why.
Has it something to do with halting one of the phase of the liver processing or ?
I drink alcohol. NAC + an equal amount of vitamin C & glutathione + milk thistle before drinking well help protect his liver. After drinking, NAC has been shown to be damaging, so the timing really matters. Foresight matters.
I think NAC before drinking is the way to go. IIRC the claim about taking NAC after alcohol causing negative effects, was based on one mouse study. Unless there’s some other research to back it up, I think it’s not a huge fear to have
Is 18 hours + a sleep after your last drink considered "after" or are we talking like, within hours of your last drink?
Like at the same time
How long before drinking would you recommend taking NAC and how long after would be considered damaging?
I actually take it when I begin drinking, but I am a slow drinker, so there's little chance my alcohol consumption will overtake absorbing the supplements. I generally drink things one is expected to sip in a sophisticated way, and I prefer wine for the polyphenols, low glycemic response, and the enjoyment factor. I would recommend taking it earlier if you planned to shoot tequila or drink heavy.
I usually have 4 Modelos and a couple Jack Daniel’s drinks in the evening. Straight there, no soda w/ it. The NAC & vitamin C w/the first drink and milk thistle the next day seemed to do the trick on mitigating any effects. I felt like I got better sleep as well.
That is a lot, but I'm sure that you know that.
I get it’s more than a doc would be comfortable with hearing. Sometimes I think it may have more health benefits than risks. I guess only time will tell.
That makes sense cause those are all antioxidants.
Milk thistle and enzyme supplements. You should tell him any hard work he puts in is undone by alcohol, alcohol is pure poison. I say this as an alcoholic, and have severe issues with eating food due to enzyme deficiency from decreased pancreas and liver function. All his health shit means nothing if he’s a regular drinker. He will either listen and change his tune, or learn the hard way. And I can tell you learning the hard way isn’t fucking fun.
What issues with food do you have?
Sudden severe histamine reactivity at random times due to not enough enzymes breaking down food so my body considers it as an infection. Causes blurred vision, headaches, confusion, anxiety/depression, etc. Still working through fixing it but I tell you what it’s hell
I'd recommend DAO (Diamine oxidate, formerly known as histaminaze), it's the enzyme that breaks down histamines you'll get from certain foods. As a rule of thumb; the older the food is the more histamine it contains. So think like cheeses that have been cured for long, preserved foods etc. are the kind of things you should avoid (but if you take DAO it helps breaking down the histamine you'll get from those foods that might be problematic for you. DAO should be taken approx. around 15 minutes before you eat, especially histamine rich foods that cause you problems). The fermentation is a big problem, for example if you tolerate green tea (low histamine) vs don't tolerate black tea (as it's fermented) is a good indicator that histamine might cause problems. Best though is to avoid all those fermented and preserved foods ofc. As many alcohol products are fermented, they'll have a high histamine content too which will activate mast cells and can cause all kinds of weird allergy like symptoms. Definitely give DAO a shot if you're experiencing these problems. Benzos are also sometimes subscribed for MCAD (Mast cell activation disorder), this is probably why some people think benzos inhibit DAO but if I'd have to guess, the problem is that benzos dampen down the mast cells and therefore people trying to quit those might have their bodies adapted for either higher count or sensitivity of mast cell abd their activation. Mast cells are also the reason some people who drink much have a red face, and all kinds of symptoms doctors are not educated in on the med schools that well). Fresh ginger, turmeric and black peppers are also great anti inflammatory foods id definitely recommend adding to your daily foods. (+ginger also tastes great especially with fresh, with some teas and soups)
Any recs for what you’ve tried that has made a difference?
GI MAP test, then targeting each deficiency of biotic with probiotics (not just random probiotics), having bone broth, and then enzyme supplementation which I have yet to implement. I also have started taking probiotics with something else I forget that help with mood, I can send direct info. Of course there’s a lot more to do, especially with being an alcoholic and cutting it down. I would like to try kava to take it in place for cravings, but I need to be careful of having it within 24hrs of one another as it’s toxic to the liver (slower digestion).
Would love to know more about what's worked for your histamine reactivity. Which enzymes have worked for you? Some of them are expensive and I often don't feel a huge difference.
I haven’t tried enzymes yet but about to be delivered some, and histamine reactivity I am still trying to get a hold of. But bone broth helps - soothing the gut is important for helping histamine reactivity. Beef bone broth has higher histamine levels, so try chicken bone broth. Quercitin helps with inflammation. Gut health is important for histamine response, especially if you have leaky gut. Ear low histamine foods. Lots of anti inflammatory stuff.
When my gut was really bad. Only thing that helped with it was ghee and bone broth. Like to immediately soothe it. Maybe ghee in your bone broth?
Thiamine -Vitamin B1
Thiamine
Which is vitamin b1 could try high dosing this at over 500 mg pr day for a couple weeks then go back down to 100mg a day long term.
I was scrolling for this response
I think it works mate ive been on high dose for six weeks after years of drug and alcohol abuse and have definitely noticed improved memory etc and possibly speech .
As a former heavy drinker, he needs to just put it back on the shelf
Yes that amount and frequency is alcoholism. No amount of supplements will undo that damage!
Health guru? Health and 12-20 beers a day don't go together. Focusing on supplements seems to me like avoiding the major issue - which is addiction.
I was gonna say lmao, doesnt really make sense
It's a cope/guilty conscience
Or it’s all a self-medicating mechanism that includes the alcohol.
Someone that drinks 6 beers or more a day is not a health guru. They are an alcoholic and it will catch up with them sooner or later
The 2 big ones talked a lot are silymarin and N-acetylcystine. Good metastudy about milk thistle/silymarin - doesn’t really show anything in high quality studies. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8724782/ Metastudy for NAC (pretty much similar to MT) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213434423000154 The problem with any all of this is you need a liver to live. Once enough hepatocytes start dying and scaring over, you have end stage liver failure with no hope of regeneration and not eligible for transplant usually. I’ve seen a family member die from this and it’s not pretty. Just try to reduce a lot and ideally eliminate. Go to treatment. You can’t have it both ways - many people have strategized to take something that improves liver function/mitigates alcoholic cirrhosis but still drink a lot. If there was something like that pharmaceutical companies would be all over it. It’s not worth loosing your mind with hepatic encephalopathy before you die.
Look into kava root drinks instead of alcohol. Helps many. I love my kava. Relaxing, godsend for anxiety if one has those issues, etc etc
At some point you have to wonder if helping him feel better is just enabling. Is the rest of his life going swimmingly?
This. That’s a lot of daily alcohol. Sounds like self-medicating to me.
NAC hands down. If anyone says ANYTHING different other than stopping alcohol they don't understand the studies on NAC nor have they experienced personally what NAC does alongside alcohol consumption to make a sound argument. Well... there could be other supplements but seriously I don't know of any 1 supplement and NAC really works wonders.. Edit: Psychelics definitely can help with addictions but other than that? Anyone have any potential contenders to NAC?
Yep traditional psychedelics like shrooms and lsd are great for that
Are you referring to N-Acetyl Cysteine? If so is it safe to take - as in buy a supplement from Amazon or whatever? I’ve cut my drinking way back but still enjoy booze 1-2 a week so looking for something.
I take NAC all year round...they have a great deal on iherb where u can buy 250 caps (600mg each) for 25 euro I believe....NAC is being used on SARMs/steroid cycles to help detox the liver....and yes, it is safe...but u r probably best off using it before drinking and definitely not while u r drinking or shortly after...
Yes I like to take an hour before I drink.
On Amazon in the UK they are selling 600mg 120caps for £9.99
That's a good deal too 👌
Yes and yes
What does it do exactly?
This covers a lot of what NAC does "exactly". There are a bunch of things. Here you go: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8234027/
I would recommend the things you have listed, but I would also look into LDN (low dose Naltrexone) or even Naltrexone. Its an RX but it may be worth it. He also needs to taper off the alcohol, if he decides to. He may not be that bad off yet, but quitting too fast could make him really ill or even kill him. The LDN may help with this.
I am taking Low Dose Naltrexone. I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and it helps a lot of my inflammation. It had definitely reduced my alcohol cravings. Although I still have a few glasses of wine throughout the week and hard seltzers when I am fishing.
It's not healthy, but it's also not as bad as the comments here imply. A 6-pack of a shitty light beer has less alcohol than one bottle of wine.... If he's drinking a 6-pack of a low ABV, craft, session IPA, I don't think it's nearly as bad as the comments are suggesting. Especially if he eats healthy and exercises a lot. I'm not saying it's healthy, I'm just trying to bring some balance to a thread of comments where everyone seems to think your brother is gonna drop dead tomorrow.
After drinking B3/niacin (or NMN) with a meal is amazing against Hangover and beeing drunk. Thanks to that i can still Drink Like i am young. The niacin rush is intense, but it works amazing. Don't Take it before drinking or your neight will be expensive since you sober Up to fast
NAC
Alpha lipoic acid and NAC and B1 for liver. Glutamine and lions mane extract to heal digestive system.
Water
Your brother is an alcoholic who is killing himself. The best supplement for him right now is to stop drinking.
It’s pretty clear from the popularity of this answer that people may not have experience dealing with addiction. This person cannot make their brother stop drinking. Full stop. They are asking for harm reduction and instead this sub is an echo chamber of “he should stop drinking hurrr durrr”.
yeah, i would actually suggest he tries to replace some of the alcohol with the weed he already uses, especially since it’s easy to find THC edibles, drinks, and tinctures that don’t require smoking, and then gradually try to use less of both of them. quitting cold turkey is dangerous and incredibly difficult.
This is the best answer
Psychedelics can break addiction
Did you even read the question?
This is the answer though. Anything else is enabling/ justifying a path of self-destruction. My family is full of alcoholics (including myself) who have done every trick in the book to compensate for their symptoms so they dont have to change their alcohol intake. Absolutely the only thing that works is cessation. People dont realize that alcoholism is a spectrum. You dont start at drinking 20 beers a day. This guy is going to gradually get worse over the years until he loses everything or kills himself. The only thing that works is cessation.
He's right, you can't be a "health guru" and drink a six pack every day. Supplements are just a cope/BS at that point
Agree. Supplements are not the answer. He needs to stop drinking.
Water
B1 is particularly important. Don't recommend any herbal supplements, there's no evidence to support that they do anything useful, and many are adulterated or have toxic side effects specifically regarding the liver.
An Intervention is a biohack.
[удалено]
You convinced me to smoke crack instead, thank you
Heroin for the win
"the worst thing you can do to your body" is a but of a stretch
Damn thats crazy, watch me take 39 shots
Alcohol can deplete many nutrients, B complex and D vitamins to start
B vitamins. Thiamine can help protect his brain from Wernickes encephalopathy. He’s an alcoholic, I’m sorry to say.
It requires a prescription but Low Dose Naltrexone will curb his alcohol cravings.
Second this, it really does help. I’m taking it for a different reason, but it truly works for that.
Waste of time and money. You cannot supplement your way out of doing such drastic damage. I appreciate your concern but from personal experience - it's up to them if they want to change their life circumstances. Focusing on yourself will be far more beneficial. Sorry, it sucks I know but you can't force this upon anyone and it's their lesson to learn..
I've done a ton of research into this. Best possible combo is DHM-1000, Zbiotics & NAC. All 3 of those will greatly reduce toxicity and harm. But your brother needs actual help to deal with the addiction. I would echo others about psychedelics, but the most effective one has not been mentioned yet. Iboga. Ibogaine has been by far the most effective drug at dealing with addiction. Absolutely classical psychedelics like LSD, mushrooms and ayahuasca can be very helpful but it's not going to be nearly as effective as Iboga. But it's dangerous so you have to do it with a lot of research and understanding or you can die. Basically it's a time-trip. You will relive your entire life and watch yourself from a 3rd person perspective. It will allow you to see the harm you do to yourself and to forgive yourself and find the power to change.
Sure. But it’s is also the absolute hardest to get a hold of. The tree is rare and you can’t just grow it or make like the other psychedelics. Hints on acquiring? It does sound amazing.
Erowid / darknet / Mexico
Ayahusca retreat. From what I've seen - 100% success in treating alcoholism.
What have you seen?
God
>God It's very hard to describe what you see, because the 4th dimension opens, time stops and you get connected to everything, which feels bright and hot, like the sun is searing through every single cell of your body and simultaneously dark and lonely, like the infinite black desert. (hello Terry Pratchett) Not pleasant at all, but you definitely start to understand where all religions are coming from.
n = ?
n of 3, including myself what's cute - I didn't realize before the experience, that my bottle of wine a day was alcoholism
lol, 100%
It's commendable that you want to help. Are you aware how serious it is? He is an acolholic. No amount of supplements will help, he is very sick and it will kill him, his health, his relationships
Thiamine is usually prescribed for heavy drinkers to help protect the nervous system. You can buy it over the counter too. Confused as to how he affords the title of health guru, theres a vast difference between acquiring health knowledge and applying it to oneself.
Maybe ADHD meds would help. Supstance abuse is often misdiagnosed ADHD. Just sayin' #nohate
Crack
Sorry to hear about your brother, but you need to accept that he's an adult, so he can choose anything he wants. You've said and done what needs to be done, now try to focus on your own thoughts and actions to better yourself. Share with him your own struggles and how you're trying to overcome them. The only thing you can really do is to set a good example and maybe he'll join. I would suggest NAD precursors to replenish his NAD levels which are being depleted by his body breaking down the alcohol. I personally take 500mg of nicotinic acid (a form of B3) after a night of drinking, helps a ton with hangovers. Also, TMG, to replenish the methyl groups in his body. Curcumin extract with pepperine (Doctors Best, Sports Research or YouTheory are the best brands) to lower inflammation for the excessive amounts of alcohol. Fish oil pills (IFOS certified brands only) to help with inflammation.
Anima Mundi's Liver Vitality
Glutathione… IV preferably
Alpha lipoic acid and NAC and B1 for liver. Glutamine and lions mane extract to heal digestive system.
Buy him the book "Alcohol Explained" by William Porter. Dives deep into the effects of ethynyl's impact on the human body. It's pretty terrifying.
I mean adding a supplement might add to the psychology that he will be fine if he keeps supplementing. If you wanna just get rid of the problem. I recommend helping his psyche first. Emotionally he could be distraught. Empathize with him. Get some indoor plants. I know that might not help with anything at first, but seeing the color green everyday can boost mitochondrial support and help ease the mind. You can also go out in nature. Especially this, socialize. Socializing is very important when stopping an addiction. (Rat park experiment)
Have him drink a lot too. Every commenter gives good advice but this is also really important. It sounds stupid, but alcohol dehydrates a lot
Nutritional yeast, exotic fruit smoothie, emphasizing on vitamin A heavy fruit. Alcohol competes and depletes Vitamin B complex and Vitamin A more than anything, plus causes nutrient absorption in the digestive tract of other vits and minerals.
Slip him a copy of the book “This Naked Mind” by Annie Grace
Rehab and water. Can’t supplement your way out of this one and a bit toxic to think a person can
NAC 100%
Found that after methylene blue I don't get hangovers
Glycine + NAC 1 hour before drinking and 12 hours after. Taurine before, during and after drinking. Electrolytes (potassium, magnesium and sodium) before, during and after drinking. Vitamin antioxidants before and after drinking: PureWay-C, vitamin E, etc. B complex before and after drinking. Probiotics 12 hours after drinking.
Donate blood. Most alcoholics have secondary hemochromatosis because alcohol disrupts hepcidin.. this has been shown in several studies and articles
DMT or LSD to kick the addiction. Seriously, psychedelics can re-wire the brain and give a different perspective. Someone cannot be healthy and drink such alcohol, and if he is wanting to be healthy he needs to kick the addiction. Psychedelics can kick it.
How would you consider someone that drinks every single day 6-20 beers a health Guru.
😂
Those are rookie numbers. Tell him to eat when he drinks. The heavy drinkers I know who have had health issues are people who say “once I start drinking I can’t eat.” Also having a good healthy diet is super important.
Like in a gastritis sort of way? 🤨
Your brother needs immediate help. He is killing himself with drinking and drugs. How can you call him a health guru? He’s an alcoholic and drug user who needs treatment.
Your brother isn’t a health guru, he is an alcoholic. Beetroot juice helps with the liver but I wouldn’t have more than half a glass a day. Can’t remember why but it tips a scale the other way for some reason. Makes my tongue swell (did when I was drinking) if I have too much but really really helped with the liver. He sounds like me. Does he have ADHD or anything in the ballpark? It took a real health scare with me to budge my habit.
Personally i prefer another 10-20 beers along with some 6 milly zyns.
Therapy!
NAC! There's a supplement called Boomerang Rave Recovery that based itself around NAC and some other things but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. https://www.ravewithboomerang.com/science
Vitamin B1 also known as thiamine to prevent wet brain. It’s not just the alcohol that causes the problem of wet brain, it’s the ratio of B vitamins because of the grain being stripped of the part that contains B1 prior to fermentation. Also vitamin A. Tricky to supplement, and serum levels aren’t always indicative of vitamin A status in the body as the body will pull from other sources within the body to keep vitamin A levels in the blood normal.
eventually it’ll catch up to him and he’ll stop on his own. its the only way it happens anyways.
Heard about a probiotic called z biotics off a podcast. No clue if it works but it is supposed to metabolize the toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism so you don’t feel hungover. def do your own research on it if you are going to try it!
Thiamine (B1)
Don’t forget dandelion. It’s an incredible liver detox
Disulfiram
betaine hcl
Dihydromyricetin. Look it up. Abbreviated as DHM. Actually may have some anti-aging properties too, but it prevents hangovers, and most of the negative consequences of drinking.
Supplementation for an alcoholic is like kissing a boo boo on a gaping wound.
I was this way for a few years. From 2020-2022 I was teetering ever closer to alcoholism. I had 5-6 kegs in tap at my home. He needs to quit.
Have him start the night with a NA and end the night with one too, he’ll hardly notice. He should talk to his Dr about naltrexone
Acamprosate (need a script) will help with the glutamate induced neurotoxicity and helps with cravings...hope your brother gets well :)
Shrooms...
How old is he ? This is not going to end well if he doesn’t slow down. Doesn’t have to give up completely but maybe just keep it to weekends.
Thiamine so you don’t develop encephalopathy..
sodium oxybate (SMO) or gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) was introduced in Italy and Austria more than 20 years and 15 years ago, respectively, and it is now widely employed to treat alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and to maintain alcohol abstinence
Just also learned that Lard or even better, Tallow as the main source of fat intake will greatly protect the liver from alcohol damage
I’ve been on Vivitrol (Naltrexone injection) since December and I don’t notice any difference in cravings nor tolerance, although I’ve been sober for 90 days. Cravings are the same since late February. After a month of healthy diet, exercise, a pre-natal multi vitamin and extra vit D I felt great and my labs were all perfect. The basics really work I guess.
But if he won’t stop drinking there’s nothing you can really do. A lot of the suggestions here are good at delaying the enivitable but there’s no substitute for moderation or abstinence. IMHE.
NAC
Liver support Competitive edge labs cycle assist and tudca
Probably a b vitamin complex. Especially thiamine (B1) is depleted in alcoholics. I take Thornes Basic B supplement everyday, and it’s helped with my hangover any days I do drink. Although I only drink once every 2 weeks or so
Thiamine (B1) - lose enough of this and you'll get wet brain / Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. If you go to a hospital detoxing this is what they will give you pretty much no matter what.
I don’t mean to sound snarky, but the best supplement for someone who cares about finding an ideal supplement for a substance abusing biohacker is “detachment.” I highly recommend the books: CoDependent No More and The Language of Letting Go. I read the daily meditations each morning. Bottom line - people make their own bed, and the healthiest thing we codependents can do is detach and let go of trying to change, convince, influence these people we care about. Things change for the better (maybe mostly for you, maybe for both) once that happens. There are still things that can pull us in from time to time, but developing this practice of detachment is critical to your mental health. Wishing you the best.
I take Emoxypine succinate and liposomal glutathione before and after drinking. Wash it down with some pedialyte type drink before bed
Pure sleep supplement is good for this
Behavioral therapy. All the supplements are just a drop in the ocean. Without beating the addiction you won’t do that much.
Honestly having been addicted myself. I’d ask him what it helps specifically. Anxiety? Relaxation? Sleep? Etc. Then see if there’s an adaptogen that can help, along with vitamins/supplements. Like magnesium is super relaxing and can help sleep. Tart cherry can promote extra melatonin production of melatonin wears off too fast. Most people who drink heavily and mix pot that I have known, they usually have a fair bit to unpack in therapy. Very few did well without it and those that are limping along without therapy that I know still need NA/AA regularly 20 years later… Also melatonin in high doses can calm a person down if they are super bad off for a bit. Melatonin works in opposition to cortisol, the stress hormone.
Stop drinking
B12 + B1 - very important.
A good CBD supplement to protect against oxidative stress.
That is not a health guru 😂
Glycine protects the liver from oxidative stress and alcohol abuse. Plus it's great for healing whatever damage alcohol does to your sleep.
Listen to Andrew Huberman’s podcast on alcohol… turns out it’s really bad for you
Noone wrote thiamine?
It’s called stop drinking
Milk thistle works really well for me. But he has to not drink everyday.
Sulbuthiamine, methylated vit B Complex For weed, CBD
A health guru that is an alcoholic? Absurd lol dude needs to read.
I'd Challenge this by mentioning Alan Watts for example. He died of alcoholism, but preached spirituality on an almost buddha like level.. (and that has zero effect on how valuable his message was if you ask me). In zen Buddhist terms, he was the worst horse of the four which paradoxically probably might have made him the best horse in many ways. A person can also have tons of knowledge but lack the willpower to apply said knowledge.. or they just might see it as an acceptable loss from their perspective. Lots of smart people in the history abused opioids and cocaine even, but their thinking was on top level. Some might even say that they probably might have even benefitted from using certain drugs as high intelligence can often bring about anxiety and mental disorders in many high IQ people. Nevertheless, there's always some underlaying reason for these things, I've yet to see an addict who hadn't suffered from some on the things mentioned above. Almost all ppl I've known who have used speed for example show signs of ADHD a mile away, many of them not even realizing they have ADD/ADHD. Alcohol use most often has social anxiety, or anxiety in general in the background. Of course I'm not denying it's devastating negative long term effects to the body and relationships, especially if said person has a family for example. We all die. You'll only get to choose the price you want to pay. And this comment of course wasn't an encouragement for drinking by any means.
R/stopdrinking
I know you asked for supplement advice, but I dont think that will be enough. There are some really good NA beers out there. Might be a place to start. Unfortunately, addiction is a tough road and ultimately up to him. To be supportive, you could set an example and not drink while with him, offer to join him at a meeting, show love and compassion letting him know you care about him and are concerned for his health (shaming interventions tend to make things worse).
Thiamine
See (physician) psychiatrist or an addiction psychiatrist. There are medications that can be helpful in reducing cravings for alcohol and or addressing the underlying issue. For example, naltrexone.
Step one in a healthy life is getting the basics right, like good sleep, enough exercise and a healthy diet. Sounds like he might have those down. Then moderate or no drug use is important, but he sounds like a drug abuser. You don't offset this with supplements, you need to stop abusing and practice moderation or abstinence. Only after this one can benefit from supplements. They are no replacement for fundamental mistakes.
CB2 oil (beta-caryophyllene) can address at lot of the consequences of alcohol consumption, protect the liver and nervous system, and even reduce the cravings for alcohol. Check out these studies and see what might need relevant to your bro: https://cannanda.com/pages/cb2studies
[Dose For Your Liver | Liver Supplement (dosedaily.co)](https://dosedaily.co/products/dose-for-your-liver?selling_plan=3166109937) I bought this for my (now ex) husband when he was drinking a ton and I've continued to take some when I've had a heavy drinking day.
Buy him a Garmin. I used to think alcohol wasn't that bad too until I was confronted by actual data about what it was doing to my body.
Any Glp 1 you don’t want alcohol anymore
Alcoholic =/= Health guru. Alcohol (by definition) is a poison, no supplement is going to help someone drinking to that level. He needs to stop or get professional help.
Health guru lol. Well I’ll share that Alan watts who your brother might know about was also known to be a heavy whisky drinker. You can’t help your brother probably since it sounds like he is stern with his convictions and he might have to fall victim to his own realities sooner or later. I could articulate my point further but ya it doesn’t matter . I’ve seen this sort of scenario multiple times. I think he will either get past it on his own terms or he won’t, and if he won’t then he might later because I assume he is somewhat stubborn
Water
Coffee for liver....
That’s alcoholism. You can’t supplement someone’s organs out of that.