Dietary support for brain chemistry?
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 120
Dietary support for brain chemistry?
Could anyone share links or experience about dietary support for brain chemistry in connection with alcoholism?
Just the other day I found out about Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) that is associated with a variant dopamine receptor, DRD2-A1. Is there something people can do with lifestyle or diet to compensate for deficient dopamine levels or response?
Also I recently read that histamine might act as a neurotransmitter, and that a condition called histadelia (histamine levels too high) seems to be associated with alcoholism. [I had already read about systemic inflammation generally being detrimental to health, and that there are foods with pro- and anti-inflammatory properties.]
As for me, to avoid blood sugar crashes I am already favoring complex carbs over simple carbs with a high glycemic index. Something I read awhile ago says that eating carbs also causes serotonin levels to rise, so maybe favoring complex, slow-burning carbs avoids a serotonin spike and trough similar to smoothing out blood sugar levels (?).
I'm trying the following based on a quick skim of the "Serotonin Power Diet": protein and carbs in the morning, protein and veggies for lunch, and carbs and veggies for dinner.
Thanks for any leads or practical experience in this area!
---
not quite on-topic:
this past week I also tried avoiding meat and cheese and just sticking to seafood and protein powder for protein -- I had only partial success, so I'll give it another try -- maybe I'll end up tending toward a Japanese diet
also, about 8 months ago I had cause to research foods with anti-cancer properties, and have been carrying a list of things to include in my diet -- well, I'll go ahead and post that for any who might be interested:
cabbage family (which includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, all the chinese cabbages)
garlic and onions
tofu and miso (but please note that soy products are controversial because of phytoestrogens)
oily fish
berries
tomatoes
citrus
turmeric
green tea
(btw, this is just my personal list based on Foods to Fight Cancer by Béliveau and Gingras -- there might be other things that I skipped)
aside from all that, I'm watching my sodium intake
personally I think this daily attention to diet for other health reasons has also been helpful with my drinking problem
Just the other day I found out about Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) that is associated with a variant dopamine receptor, DRD2-A1. Is there something people can do with lifestyle or diet to compensate for deficient dopamine levels or response?
Also I recently read that histamine might act as a neurotransmitter, and that a condition called histadelia (histamine levels too high) seems to be associated with alcoholism. [I had already read about systemic inflammation generally being detrimental to health, and that there are foods with pro- and anti-inflammatory properties.]
As for me, to avoid blood sugar crashes I am already favoring complex carbs over simple carbs with a high glycemic index. Something I read awhile ago says that eating carbs also causes serotonin levels to rise, so maybe favoring complex, slow-burning carbs avoids a serotonin spike and trough similar to smoothing out blood sugar levels (?).
I'm trying the following based on a quick skim of the "Serotonin Power Diet": protein and carbs in the morning, protein and veggies for lunch, and carbs and veggies for dinner.
Thanks for any leads or practical experience in this area!
---
not quite on-topic:
this past week I also tried avoiding meat and cheese and just sticking to seafood and protein powder for protein -- I had only partial success, so I'll give it another try -- maybe I'll end up tending toward a Japanese diet
also, about 8 months ago I had cause to research foods with anti-cancer properties, and have been carrying a list of things to include in my diet -- well, I'll go ahead and post that for any who might be interested:
cabbage family (which includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, all the chinese cabbages)
garlic and onions
tofu and miso (but please note that soy products are controversial because of phytoestrogens)
oily fish
berries
tomatoes
citrus
turmeric
green tea
(btw, this is just my personal list based on Foods to Fight Cancer by Béliveau and Gingras -- there might be other things that I skipped)
aside from all that, I'm watching my sodium intake
personally I think this daily attention to diet for other health reasons has also been helpful with my drinking problem
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 2,060
for my recovery, I focused on not drinking alcohol, and on strengthening my sobriety first.
After a few years of sobriety, I addressed gluten, sugar and carbs as triggers to unhealthy brain chemistry. I believe the changes are effective but priorities, for me, were more effective in treating my alcoholism.
Meditatiion brings peace to my heart and mind, too.
After a few years of sobriety, I addressed gluten, sugar and carbs as triggers to unhealthy brain chemistry. I believe the changes are effective but priorities, for me, were more effective in treating my alcoholism.
Meditatiion brings peace to my heart and mind, too.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
I did not eat my way into or out of sobriety.
However...
In early sobriety...I followed the eating plan outlined in
"Under The Influence"
I now loosely follow one for diabetics.
Not sure if either has a thing to do with brain chemistry.
Perhaps this has info...
Alcohol Chemistry and You
I can tell you that by 3 months AA sober
I was back in balance physically and mentally.
Do keep us updated Kevin
Good to see you aain...
However...
In early sobriety...I followed the eating plan outlined in
"Under The Influence"
I now loosely follow one for diabetics.
Not sure if either has a thing to do with brain chemistry.
Perhaps this has info...
Alcohol Chemistry and You
I can tell you that by 3 months AA sober
I was back in balance physically and mentally.
Do keep us updated Kevin
Good to see you aain...
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 120
Thanks, Miss Communicat -- I haven't had any gastric distress or IBS related to gluten, but will check into other effects it might have. (Personally I don't like whole-wheat bread, but I do like pasta, and also have several cans of gluten as a meat substitute.)
Noted! Nor did I ... 
In fact I became a heavy then problem drinker while watching cooking shows on TV and by drinking beer and/or wine during the evening while either watching TV or internetting and preparing generally healthy meals that I ate around 11 p.m.
I am wondering though whether research involving dopamine and the DRD2 receptor, and histamine and the H2 receptor in the brain, have made it into something people can apply practically in their daily lives, as "complementary medicine" to the rest of their program, whatever that may be.
Originally Posted by CarolD 
I did not eat my way into or out of sobriety.
In fact I became a heavy then problem drinker while watching cooking shows on TV and by drinking beer and/or wine during the evening while either watching TV or internetting and preparing generally healthy meals that I ate around 11 p.m.
I am wondering though whether research involving dopamine and the DRD2 receptor, and histamine and the H2 receptor in the brain, have made it into something people can apply practically in their daily lives, as "complementary medicine" to the rest of their program, whatever that may be.
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 140
There is a good article here, on DRD2 A1 and diet.
The research indicates that sufferers of RDS (those with fewer dopamine receptors than normal, due to the presence of gene variant DRD2 A1), find moderation difficult. So, diet-wise, the recommendation appears to be: Keep away from junk and unhealthy foods completely, if you have RDS.
For my part (I'm not drinking and don't know if I have RDS). But I eat a banana everyday (for the serotonin - bananas contain tryptophan, a protein that converts to the neurotransmitter serotonin).
As to, I think the question is only pertinent if you are abstaining and recovering. Alcohol does all kinds of weird stuff to cells (changes the membrane permeability, changes the way cell receive and process fuel to operate, introduces new proteins etc.) So the damage of drinking greatly overrides the benefits of healthy eating.
The research indicates that sufferers of RDS (those with fewer dopamine receptors than normal, due to the presence of gene variant DRD2 A1), find moderation difficult. So, diet-wise, the recommendation appears to be: Keep away from junk and unhealthy foods completely, if you have RDS.
For my part (I'm not drinking and don't know if I have RDS). But I eat a banana everyday (for the serotonin - bananas contain tryptophan, a protein that converts to the neurotransmitter serotonin).
As to,
Could anyone share links or experience about dietary support for brain chemistry in connection with alcoholism?
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