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What Foods Curb the Urge to Drink Alcohol?

Drinking alcohol excessively or for long periods of time can severely harm your bodily functions and organs, and deplete your body of much-needed vitamins. Alcohol also contains high amounts of sugar which can adversely affect your body and can actually make you crave more alcohol. Learning how to consume the right foods, liquids and supplements drastically helps reduce the craving to drink more.

  1. Low-sugar Foods

    • Reducing the amount of sugar in your foods and beverages helps with alcohol cravings. When you ingest a sugar food or beverage, your body goes through a sugar high that triggers your pancreas to send out insulin to gather sugar from your blood. Within a couple hours, you experience a sugar crash because the insulin takes your blood sugar levels from high to low. The result from this is sugar cravings. Since alcohol contains sugar, you are more likely to crave it when you are in this state. Avoid the sugar crash and cravings altogether by limiting sugar intake.

    Whole Grains

    • Whole grains have a lower sugar content and allow you to feel full for a longer period of time. With this low-sugar content, you are less likely to crave sugar and alcohol as a result of low blood-sugar during a sugar crash. Whole grains are also packed with nutrients and vitamins.

    Vitamin B-rich Foods

    • Vitamin B-rich foods should be consumed if you have been drinking alcohol and want to reduce cravings. Your body may be vitamin B deficient from the alcohol consumption, which reduces your energy levels and makes you feel depressed. Fish, lean meats, eggs, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, broccoli, yams, spinach and bell peppers are all rich in vitamin B.

    Vitamin A-rich Foods

    • Eat vitamin A-rich foods to replenish the vitamin A amounts in the body that are reduced from alcohol consumption; help curb cravings and boost your immune system functions. Sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy green vegetables, butternut squash, cantaloupe and apricots all contain vitamin A. Consult your doctor if you feel the need to take extra vitamin A supplements, as it may cause harm to the liver if taken in large doses.

    Dandelion

    • Dandelion helps boost liver functioning, and aids with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Dandelion is the pesky weed with yellow flowers that pops up on many people's lawns. Eat the green leaves of the plant. Make sure there are no pesticides or insecticides on the plant. Never take this if you are nursing or pregnant. If you combine this herb with Milk Thistle, it works even better.

    St. Johns Wart

    • St. Johns Wart, also known as hypericum, has been used as an antidepressant for centuries. This is quite useful for someone experiencing depression or anxiety while recovering from alcohol addiction. It also helps curb nausea and vomiting that can occur during alcohol withdrawals. This natural herb works to raise serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels in an individual. Oxford Journals published a study that showed animals given this herb had lower alcohol cravings.

    Kudzu

    • Kudzu is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb given to help reduce alcohol cravings. The isoflavones, proteins and starches contained in kudzu help to curb those cravings, make you feel full and increase blood flow to your brain and heart.

    Milk Thistle

    • Milk Thistle is a wild herb used for centuries, as it helps cleanse the liver and boost its functioning. By helping to repair and regulate the liver, it helps to lower alcohol cravings. There are no side effects with this plant, and you should take 420 to 600 mg daily to get optimal results.

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