Hypoascorbemia
There is no doubt in my mind that there is a nutritional component to drug addiction. In it's origins and in it's treatment.I'm convinced that if a person wants to get the best treatment for drug addiction they must include Vitamins and Complete Nutrition as part of their treatment. I've been in a few debates recently with people using long term drug therapy as treatment. This is beneficial - if you're a pharmaceutical Company.
I'm going to suggest a couple of videos that I've found very helpful in understanding the need to pay attention to diet and nutrition then an article I found below. See what you think.
Nutrition And Behavior
Food Matters
World Without Cancer
Read And Research - Drug Addiction and the Genetic Disease, Hypoascorbemia
Drug addicts, like other humans, are born carrying a defective gene for the synthesis of the liver-enzyme protein, L-gulonolactone oxidase (GLO). This birth defect causes a potentially fatal, but now readily correctable genetic liver-enzyme disease, Hypoascorbemia. This "inborn error of carbohydrate metabolism" has destroyed the capability of the human liver to synthesize ascorbate from blood glucose, and thus deprives mankind of this important mammalian mechanism for combating stresses. The normal mammalian response to stress is to increase liver-synthesis of ascorbate as an antistressor and detoxicant to maintain biochemical homeostasis within the body.
Most mammals carry the intact gene for GLO and normally produce, under conditions of little stress, about 10 to 20 g of ascorbate per day per 70 kg body weight to take care of their daily physiological needs. A biochemical feedback mechanism evolved in the early mammals which increased daily ascorbate production possibly three to fivefold under a variety of chemical and physical stresses. Humans, among the very few mammals deprived of this homeostatic protective mechanism, suffer more physiological damage from equivalent stresses unless exogenous ascorbate is supplied. Thus a daily intake of 10 to 20 g of ascorbate by a relatively unstressed adult human is not excessively high, but well within the normal mammalian range. Under stress humans require about 30 to 100 g or more a day to maintain health. The therapeutic use of mega levels of ascorbate has met with great success in the treatment of the viral diseases, cancer, and many other pathologies. The sub-subsistence, "homeopathic" daily intakes of ascorbate, recommended for the past 40 years by the nutritionists as "vitamin C" for humans, would barely suffice to keep the other mammals alive and certainly not in good health. The wide acceptance of this erroneous nutritional hypothesis by modern Medicine has only led to the continued persistence of chronic subclinical scurvy as our most widespread and insidious human disease at present.
Physiological Effects of Drug Addiction
The usual history of addiction follows this sort of pattern: The future addicts are born with the genetic defect for CLO, and already at birth, are suffering from the CSS Syndrome. The CSS Syndrome usually continues throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood without much of an attempt at any significant correction. It has been our experience that all of the addicts we have dealt with began their introduction into the drug culture at an early age, first beginning with marijuana, alcohol, barbiturates, PCP, LSD, and then on to heroin. They usually begin as a weekend "high", escalating into a daily habit from which they can't escape. Each of these stresses further depletes the already dangerously low body stores of ascorbate leading to the severe exacerbation of the CSS Syndrome already present. Adequate repletion of the body stores of ascorbate is nonexistent.
On drugs, the addicts lose their appetite for food. Food deprivation or restriction leads to severe protein and vitamin malnutrition. All the chronic addicts tested suffer from hypoaminoaciduria. This has led us to regard a confirmed addict as suffering from a Hypoascorbemia-Kwashiorkor type of syndrome, and our treatment procedure was designed as an intensive holistic approach for the full correction of these genetic and multimalnutritional dysfunctions. The procedure is completely orthomolecular, and no foreign substance or toxic narcotic or drug is used.
Briefly, by fully correcting this Hypoascorbemia-Kwashiorkor Syndrome, we are able to take the addicts off heroin or methadone, without the appearance of withdrawal symptoms. If during the period of full correction they take a "fix," it is immediately detoxified or otherwise handled by the body so that no "high" occurs. It is like injecting pure water provided the dosage of ascorbate is high enough. After a few days on the regimen, appetite returns and they start eating voraciously. They also have restful sleep. Restless sleep or no sleep at all are characteristic of heroin and methadone addiction.
"Full correction" in the addicts treated comprised giving them 25 to 85 g sodium ascorbate a day in spaced doses along with high intakes of the other vitamins, essential minerals, and high levels of predigested proteins. This is continued for four to six days, and then the dosages are gradually reduced to lower holding dose levels that varied from about 10 to 30 g per day. Both the therapeutic and the holding dose levels may vary widely according to the clinical response of the particular addict being treated. The therapeutic dosage is usually slightly beyond the bowel tolerance level, held for 12 to 24 hours. Selection of proper dosage is based on clinical experience and observation and responses of the patient. Bowel tolerance is a concept introduced by Robert Cathcart (1976) for judging the toxicity of the pathology and the required dosage of ascorbate needed for treatment. Cathcart found the bowel tolerance increases with increased stresses on the organism. The general improvement in the well-being of the addicts within 12 to 24 hours after beginning sodium ascorbate detoxification is striking. It is demonstrated by improved mental alertness and visual acuity; appetite is returning, and the addict is amazed that treatment is working without the use of another narcotic."
Taken From - The Hypoascorbemia-Kwashiorkor Approach to Drug Addiction Therapy: A Pilot Study, by Dr. Alfred F. Libby
Alfred F. Libby, M.D., holds five doctorates and is recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on therapeutic nutrition. Dr. Libby's medical background in chemical research includes an association with Nobel Prize Laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling