History Of Alcohol Consumption In India
Alcohol consumption in India was in practice since the ancient times. During the Vedic period alcoholic drinks were used in various religious festivals, consumed widely by warriors groups, and a few other sections of society . The use of this also continued during post-vedic era, during Islamic invasion, British rule, and significantly increasing in the present scenario . During the Vedic period, alcohol consumption is marked by evidence gathered by excavation of chief ingredients from various archaeological sites, which implies alcohol was produced more than 4,000 years ago, i.e., it was contemporary with ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.
During this period some sections of society like the Tantric sect incorporated the use of alcohol as an essential part of their religious ceremonies. They made madya an essential component of their ganachakra . Two main medical practitioners of the post-Vedic India were Charaka and Sushruta. Charaka wrote that alcohol in right amounts at a right time and with enough food is beneficial. He posited that moderate drinking leads to preservation of intelligence, provides nourishment, digestion and pleasure, while Sushruta wrote about the use and abuse of alcohol.
Herbs That Act As Natural Help For Alcoholism
- Research has shown that natural herbs offer much alcoholism help in patients undergoing treatment for alcoholism
- What alcoholism brings to the body is anything but helpful. Alcohol abusers may develop gastric problems, kidney and heart issues, scarring of the liver tissues, and more
- Early alcoholism intervention is necessary in the prevention of liver cirrhosis. With prolonged alcoholism cirrhosis can set in and it becomes impossible to bounce back to normal even after alcoholism rehab
- Prolonged alcoholism can affect most major organs including the brain. Alcoholism schizophrenia may occur in patients who do not seek help for alcoholism at some stage of their life
1.Acorus
Herbs are known around the world to act as remedies for many problems, including alcohol addiction treatment. Acorus is one of those helpful herbs that stimulate alcohol detox as it affects the brain during withdrawals. Also known for its assistance in withdrawals from cocaine and heroin, this herb offers a great help for alcoholism rehab patients. During the first ten days of withdrawal, detox brings about nausea, vomiting, and shakes. Acorus can inhibit symptoms during this acute stage.
2.Kudzu
3.Milk Thistle
4.Wormwood
5.Passion Flower
6.Reishi
7.Aloe Vera
The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.
Natural Remedies To Control Alcohol Shakes
Making the choice to quit drinking requires courage and bravery. The process of detoxing is challenging, especially if you experience the alcohol shakes.
There is always light at the end of the tunnel though and you will get through that challenging time.
And you dont need to call your doctor to get a pharmaceutical to help you through it.
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Brief History Of Alcohol Consumption
Although opinion differs as to when the humans first started to produce or became familiar with alcoholic beverages, their use dates back to ancient civilizations. Substantive historical and archaeological evidence implies the Stone Age as the dawn of fermentation products . It was fermented mare’s milk in ancient Siberia that appears to have been the first alcoholic drink. Its production today known as Kumis continues in some parts of Russia . The use of alcoholic beverages is reported in various religious ceremonies, social gatherings, or in day-to-day life.
Several excavation sites around the globe unearthed jarsdating it back to 70006600 BCE Northern China , 54005000 BCE in Hajjin Firuz in Iran , 4000 BCE in ancient Egypt , 2700 BCE in Babylonians , 1000 BCE in Mexico , and 700 BCE in Greece that were used for storing alcoholic beverages that were prepared form grapes, berries, rice, honey, wheat, and barley. With the commencement of the second and first centuries BCE, alcohol intoxication was no longer rare among the common people. India and China have very well-established and extensively documented traditional medicine systems counteracting the ill-effects of alcohol consumption.
Results Of Puerarin Treatment
“When they were treated with puerarin they drank about a beer less than when they were treated with placebo,” he says.
On average, the men and women drank 3.5 beers after placebo and 2.4 after puerarin.
After placebo treatment, three people drank five beers and one drank six. After the herbal treatment, no one drank five or six.
When they had the herbal treatment, people also took more sips to finish a beer, took longer to down it, and reduced their sip size, Penetar found.
During the week of puerarin treatment, they drank slightly less than during the placebo week — three drinks a day compared to 3.4.
No serious side effects were reported.
For drinkers who want to cut down, this may help, Penetar says.
He does not know exactly how it works. “We suspect it may work because it increases blood flow,” he says. “It may deliver alcohol to the brain’s reward center faster. So you get an effect sooner therefore, you don’t drink as much.”
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism funded the study. One study co-author is a member of the scientific advisory board at Natural Pharmacia International. It provided the puerarin. Another co-author is an employee of NPI.
Penetar holds the investigational new-drug application for puerarin. McLean Hospital has a licensing agreement with NPI for the extract.
The hope, Penetar says, is to market the extract over-the-counter.
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Top 15 Herbs For Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcoholism can be considered a disease characterized by an unstoppable craving for alcohol and the failure to put an end to this habit. Even though people are aware of the countless negative impacts alcoholism causes, they find it almost unable to stop craving for alcohol.
When you are trying to end it, you experience withdrawal symptoms like extreme levels of stress, confusion, anxiety, loss of control, nausea, upset digestive system, headaches, and much more. Along with proper support of your family and medical supervision, using these herbs could ease the symptoms you face as you put an end to this life-wrecking habit.
Read on to know more about those herbs that could help you during this challenging phase.
Ethnopharmacological Applications Targeting Alcohol Abuse
This limited efficacy and associated adverse effects have urged us to deepen our understanding of the complementary approaches used in traditional and folk medicine. Notably, recent experimental evidence has proved the effectiveness of some herbal remedies with few possible side effects, and natural products in general are an established source of pharmacologically active molecules .
The use of traditional products/formulations aims to target at: reducing the desire to drink impeding gastrointestinal absorption of alcohol and expediting the process of alcohol and its metabolites clearance rate form the body .
XJL preparation #28 ] is an herbal medicine developed in China and has been used for decades to decrease the intoxicating effects of alcohol. Extracts of Pueraria montana var. lobata Maesen & S.M.Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep Merr. and Citrus × aurantium L. are among the many plant extracts that have been used in preparing XJL. The exact mechanism of action of kudzu is unknown but studies carried out on isoflavones like daidzein, daidzin, and puerarin have concluded that these phytochemicals decrease the consumption of alcohol by alterations in monoamine oxidase -acetaldehyde pathways or mitochondrial ALDH2 pathways .
Table 1 Plants used for prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse in different folk medicine practices.
Figure 1 Chemical structures of some important natural products.
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Volunteering Is Great For Breaking The Alcohol Habit
Home remedies to stop drinking alcohol can also benefit your community. Volunteering is a great way to get your mind off what you are dealing with and think about others. Besides volunteering within your recovery community, you can also:
- Help the homeless
- Build homes for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity
- Help a local animal shelter
Effects Of Alcohol Consumption On Hepatic And Cardiovascular Systems
A major causative agent for chronic liver disease in the USA and Europe is alcoholism. In 2010, 14.5 million disability-adjusted life-years and approx. 0.5 million deaths around the world were caused by ALD . Excessive use of alcohol leads to hepatic steatosis , but only a subset of patients are known to develop clinically significant liver disease, depending on various behavior factors, genetic predisposition, and comorbidities. Out of these, one of the most important ones is obesity . Alcohol has not only had a direct harmful effect on liver but indirect effect on other organs also. Dangerous use of alcohol alters adipose tissue functions and causes liver-damaging effects and progression of ALD .
Acetaminophen is implicated as the causative agent of 42% of all the cases of acute liver failure in the USA . A high risk factor of ALF is associated with consumption of acetaminophen in elderly, alcoholics, and in those cases where there is an overdose with this drug . There are higher incidences of acetaminophen toxicity in case of chronic alcoholics, people suffering from malnutrition, and the elderly .
Pro-fibrogenic cytokines, such as platelet-derived growth factor-beta , transforming growth factor-beta , and connective tissue growth factor are released by hepatic stellate cells on activation . Inhibition of HSC activation is the main goal for the treatment of hepatic injury induced by alcohol consumption .
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Using Herbs In Home Remedies To Stop Drinking Alcohol
There are several herbs useful in home remedies to stop drinking alcohol. While the benefits of herbs in breaking the alcohol habit vary from person to person, they can be highly beneficial and natural ways to stop alcohol cravings.
Besides fighting alcohol cravings and breaking the alcohol habit, herbs can help the body repair itself. The following herbs are just a few natural ways to stop alcohol cravings.
Alcohol And Nicotine: A Dangerous Combination
Some subjective rewarding alcohol effects are enhanced through nicotine and vice versa . In addition, nicotine can influence alcohol consumption in a longer run. Use of nicotine at a young age enhances the development of disorders associated with consumption of alcohol later in life . In agreement with the literature, nicotine administration to animals can enhance subsequent self-administration of alcohol in them . However, there are also certain conflicting reports in which nicotine administration did not have any influence on alcohol consumption rather nicotine administration reduced alcohol consumption .
There are various diverse molecular targets throughout the central nervous system on which ethanol and nicotine act, but a common pharmacological action is also shared by these drugs . It is put forward that common modulation of the brain stress hormone system and mesolimbic dopamine system leads to the interactions between ethanol and nicotine . Substances for abuse target the DA system and the development of addiction is due to the dysregulation of the DA system .
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How Does Recurrance Of Use Happen
An essential part of preventing relapse is understanding how it happens. This allows you to recognize the signs of relapse and get help before it happens. In short, a relapse begins with a high-risk situation which is followed by inadequate coping responses. For this reason, continuing relapse prevention therapy is your best chance at maintaining your recovery.
Having the proper relapse prevention support in place can help you achieve Recovery for Life. Treatment programs teach members how to prevent relapse and empower them to remain in recovery.
Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and other community support groups should become part of your recovery life. The bonds and support you receive in these groups can be the difference between recovery and relapse.
Top 10 Natural Methods For Successful Alcohol Addiction Recovery
- Natural methods are being more and more incorporated in the treatment for alcoholism, as medical drugs have become stronger and harsher on the bodys already weakened system
- What alcoholism does to the body is anything but helpful. Prolonged alcoholism drinking may cause gastric problems, kidney and heart issues, scarring of the liver tissues, and more
- Early alcoholism intervention is necessary in the prevention of liver cirrhosis. With prolonged alcoholism, cirrhosis can set in and it becomes impossible to bounce back to normal even after patients have received adequate help for alcoholism
- Through the incorporation of vitamins, supplements, herbs, and exercise, alcohol addiction recovery can be successful
1.Vitamins or Supplement Therapy
Various vitamins and supplements have been recognized as more natural approaches in alcohol abuse treatment. Researchers and practitioners agree in supplements and vitamins can actually counteract withdrawal symptoms and speed up alcohol addiction recovery times.
2.Acorus Herb
3.TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine
TCM combines most herbs, supplements, ancient exercise, biofeedback, and even acupuncture to assist in the treatment for alcoholism.
4.Kudzu Herb
5.Aloe Vera
6.Reishi
7.Passion Flower
8.Medical Exercises
Medical exercises such as tai-chi and qi-gong are suggested as appropriate help for alcoholism recovery patients. Exercises teach discipline, breathing techniques, and relaxation techniques.
9.Milk Thistle
10.Acupuncture
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Overcoming Addiction And Cravings Through Healthy Living
Part of recovery focuses on rebuilding an ability to cope with stress using healthy mechanisms rather than addiction. Another crucial step is helping your body return to a healthy, thriving state, where it has the nutrients, vitamins and activity it needs for you to live your best life.
Dependency on drugs or alcohol throws your body wildly off-balance, and restoring this balance in recovery can be an uncomfortable process. As you move away from your reliance on a particular substance, you will likely still experience cravings for it as your body slowly readjusts. However, adding in or increasing your intake of certain vitamins and nutrients can help mitigate cravings and restore your health.
How Does Herbal Medicine Benefit Addiction Problems
With most addictions, a person is left with decreased immunity, a shot nervous system and a badly damaged spirit. Herbal medicine aims to treat addictions by using herbs that:
- Holistically address the mind/body system
- Detoxify the body from the addictive substance
- Counteract the stress response and strengthen the adrenal glands
- Promote feelings of relaxation
- Promote good digestion and absorption
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Mindfulness And Meditation Can Ease Alcohol Cravings
Mindfulness is a form of non-judgmental observation. When you are mindful, you are focusing on the present moment.
Meditation allows you to calm your mind and body and connect with yourself. Mindfulness and meditation can help avoid reacting to alcohol cravings and help in breaking the alcohol habit.
Use Milk Thistle Seeds For Liver Support
Supporting liver function is extremely important when fighting addiction and alcoholism. Milk thistle seed tea with a few drops of passion flower extract should be taken three times a day.
Exercise often, even if it’s just a few deep knee bends. Stretch you muscles. Run in place to get your heart rate up. Avoid smoke. Practice deep breathing, but not in a polluted environment.
Eat slow-burning complex carbohydrates, including vegetables and whole grains every day. Eliminate refined sugar, alcohol, and caffeine from the diet. All of these things help reduce cravings and shorten withdrawal periods.
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Milk Thistle For The Liver
Milk Thistle is often used in the treatment of liver dysfunction. The seeds contain silymarin which helps to cleanse the liver of poisons. This is why it is commonly used in liver detox diets and other similar cleanses.
A common consequence to prolonged alcohol use is varying forms of liver damage. Alcoholics commonly use milk thistle to prevent liver damage from occurring or taking it with the hopes of stopping the progression of current damage.
Milk Thistle has been used to help cleanse an individuals liver while they are going through an alcohol detoxification.
We know that severe liver conditions, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, will not benefit from taking silymarin.
As noted above for kudzu, it is strongly recommended that you do your research into the milk thistle before purchasing. As with many things, it is possible for milk thistle to be misrepresented when marketed.
Chinese Herb Kudzu May Help Drinkers Cut Down
In Small Study, Harvard Researchers Find Kudzu Extract Reduces Drinking
May 17, 2012 — An extract from the Chinese herb kudzu may help drinkers cut down on drinking, according to a new pilot study.
“It didn’t stop the drinking,” says researcher David M. Penetar, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “They still drank, but they drank less.”
He studied the extract puerarin. It is one of the substances known as isoflavones found in kudzu.
The study is published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
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Current Conventional Pharmacotherapy Of Alcohol Dependence
Alcohol addiction, abuse and dependence have become severe problems affecting the lives of many people throughout the world. Currently at many rehabilitation centers, multiple allopathic drugs are being used to treat alcohol addiction and its complications. Though many allopathic drugs have proven to be a useful aid to combat alcoholism, yet drugs alone are not a complete answer for treatment of alcoholism. Successful treatment of alcoholism requires a combination of both psychological therapy as well as pharmacotherapy. Many drugs like benzodiazepines and disulfiram have been used in the treatment of alcohol dependence for many years but they have their own merits and demerits. Sometimes they may not prove to be very effective in an alcoholic patient and they have a potential to cause a variety of adverse effects. For example, by using BDZs in alcohol dependence, the alcoholic might himself/herself get addicted to BDZs. Also, in some studies it has been found that BDZs are not very effective in reducing craving associated with alcohol consumption. Similarly, taking disulfiram precludes even small amounts of alcohol or else severe adverse reactions within the body are likely to occur. Thus, the main action of disulfiram becomes its biggest drawback .
