Whether it’s alcohol, drugs or even food, addiction of any kind is extremely difficult to overcome. Addiction is actually today’s most common modern disease and is responsible for a variety of health issues such as lung or heart disease, stroke, cancer, or mental health conditions.
The most common forms of addiction are related to alcohol and smoking, both of which have been associated with increased risk of developing age-related disorders which manifest in the cardiovascular and central nervous system.
Food addiction is something less talked about but is one of the leading causes of obesity, a health issue associated with addictive behaviour that has a profound effect on morbidity and mortality leading to a reduction in the overall quality of life.
The Neurobiology of Addiction
Addiction hijacks the reward system in the brain and those who are addicted to food, smoking, drugs or alcohol describe the same processes of reward, withdrawal and subsequent over consumption.
Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences.
A Harvard Health article explains the current theory about the neurobiology of addiction:
“According to the current theory about addiction, dopamine interacts with another neurotransmitter, glutamate, to take over the brain’s system of reward-related learning. This system has an important role in sustaining life because it links activities needed for human survival (such as eating and sex) with pleasure and reward.
The reward circuit in the brain includes areas involved with motivation and memory as well as with pleasure. Addictive substances and behaviors stimulate the same circuit—and then overload it.”
Addiction cannot be blamed on the individual. Many factors are associated with addiction and many of these are biological and often pre-determined. We now know that addiction is a health issue and is categorised as a disease which places a better emphasis on treatment options.
Given the importance of improving the prevention and successful treatment of addiction, there is a growing need to investigate new factors that may be associated with addictive behaviour. Various experimental approaches suggest that replenishment of cellular levels of NAD+ can provide benefits and significantly lower relapse in addiction.
NAD+ treatment for addiction
Research in NAD+ has shown that components of NAD+ metabolism and NAD-dependent enzymes can influence major signalling processes associated with the neurobiology of addiction.
What this means is that supplementing NAD+ levels could be used as a holistic way of managing and treating addictive behaviour and reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms in patients with addiction – whether that’s alcohol, smoking, food or any other form of drug use. There is no reason why you should remain trapped in this endless cycle when we can assist you in regaining physical and mental health.
NAD+ IV therapy works in three ways:
- It helps curb the physical and mental cravings
- It helps reduce withdrawal symptoms
- It helps your body detox
To find out more about how NAD+ can help overcome addiction, speak to one of our consultants on +44 (0) 207 935 1155 or by emailing info@nadclinic.com
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