Many addicts enter rehab unhealthy and malnourished. The most commonly abused drug, alcohol, is particularly devastating on the processes of the body, and since alcohol can be consumed for caloric energy, many chronic alcoholics consume half or more of their daily caloric needs through the empty calories of alcohol. Many suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can both increase the risks of serious health conditions, and also increase the risks of further abuse.
Although alcohol ravages the body, abusers of a great many drugs suffer from nutritional deficits; and chronic abuse and addiction can often suppress hunger or reduce the efficiency of metabolic and other food processing processes. Regardless of the drug abused, restoring health through excellent nutrition improves the strength of the body and improves the mental outlook of the patient in recovery. A quality rehab should have a dietician or nutritional professional employed to determine the unique nutritional needs of each and every recovering addict in the program, and to design a meal plan specifically matched to the nutritional needs of each diverse patient.
Page last updated Aug 05, 2010
