Alcohol is consumed in all walks of life. The age at which this happens is getting lower. At the age of 15, 50% of young people drink regularly, according to research by NIPO. For 10-year-olds that is one in five. Boys drink alcohol more often than girls. Alcoholism (alcohol addiction) occurs when men drink more than 21 glasses of alcohol per week. For women, that number is 15 or more drinks per week. Food (supplements) can be used to combat alcohol addiction.
- What is alcohol?
- The effects of alcohol per average person
- Alcoholism has four stages
- How many people in the Netherlands are addicted to alcohol?
- Stop or reduce alcohol
- Nutrition (supplements) against alcohol addiction
What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a certain substance that occurs in drinks such as beer, wine, whisky, port and mixed drinks. Although alcohol is socially accepted, it can lead to alcohol addiction. These addictive properties are considered hard drugs.
Alcohol is created by the fermentation of grains or fruit sugars. This fermentation ensures that the grains and fruit sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Wine and beer have a maximum alcohol content of 15%. Stronger alcoholic drinks involve distillation: the heating and cooling of weakly alcoholic alcohol. Examples of strong alcoholic drinks are liqueur, eggnog and port.
The effects of alcohol per average person
- With 1 to 2 glasses the drinker becomes happier, disinhibited, relaxed and less tired. Young people are still allowed to participate in traffic.
- With 2 to 3 glasses, the pulse increases and breathing accelerates. People eat more and have to go to the toilet more often. Adults are still allowed to participate in traffic.
- The drinker is tipsy after 4 to 8 glasses . Memory is reduced and situations are difficult to assess. It is forbidden to drive a car.
- With 9 to 14 glasses, the drinker becomes nauseous, experiences double vision, swells and gets a red face.
- At 14 to 18 glasses the drinker is really drunk and his senses are numbed. Aggression may occur.
- More than 18 drinks result in alcohol poisoning. One can even fall into a coma (drinking coma) and suffer cardiac arrest.
Alcoholism has four stages
In the first stage, the social drinker has his drinking under control. He doesn’t drink every day, only at parties or with meals every now and then. In the second stage, the habitual drinker drinks daily. In the third stage we are talking about a problem drinker who tries to drink away his problems. He denies that there is a problem even though his social life no longer functions properly. In the fourth stage the alcoholic is addicted. The whole day is dominated by alcohol. There are major physical and mental problems: liver disease, heart disease, esophageal cancer, memory loss and poor concentration. Furthermore, there are financial problems, he functions worse, is isolated and constipates the drink.
How many people in the Netherlands are addicted to alcohol?
According to the website ALCOHOLinfo.nl, approximately 11.6 million people drink alcohol in the Netherlands. Of these drinkers, 78,400 are addicted to alcohol. That is approximately 0.7% of alcohol drinkers. Of all people who drink alcohol, approximately 20% to 25% will become addicted to a greater or lesser extent at some point. This is comparable to drugs such as cocaine and heroin
Stop or reduce alcohol
At Jellinek it is possible to undergo therapy to get rid of your alcohol addiction. You can get a grip on your addiction through cognitive behavioral therapy . If you wish to stop completely, the Minnesota treatment is suitable.
Nutrition (supplements) against alcohol addiction
Research by Professor Roger Williams of the University of Texas has shown that alcohol-addicted mice no longer pay attention to alcohol when fed a nutritious diet supplemented with vitamins and minerals. This involves a high-protein diet and the minerals lime (1000 mg) and magnesium (500 mg) plus a strong vitamin B complex .
Glutamine is also important. This is an amino acid found in grain proteins. Glutamine protects bacteria against alcohol poisoning. At least 30% of alcohol addicts respond favorably to this. This concerns 2 tablets of 500 mg glutamine to be taken three times a day and 2 tablets of 500 mg half an hour before the time when you feel like drinking alcohol.
Finally, the Kudzu plant seems to be good against alcohol addiction. Daidzein in Kudzu converts acetaldehyde, the toxic waste product of alcohol, into acetate, a harmless product. Puerarin, together with daidzein, lowers alcohol levels in the blood. Alcoholics drink less alcohol after taking Kudzu.
