Does Green Tea Help With Alcohol Withdrawal?
When trying to overcome an alcohol addiction, those in recovery typically endure the difficult process of alcohol withdrawal. During this time, it is crucial to have medical monitoring and expert involvement. However, some people find that complementary techniques help with symptoms and overall health. In this context, green tea gets lots of attention thanks to its many health advantages and high antioxidant content.
What Is Green Tea?
Traditional medicinal and cultural traditions in Asia have long made use of green tea, which comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea stands apart from other types of tea because of its unique harvesting and preparation procedures. Fast heating of the harvested leaves prevents oxidation and maintains the natural components.
Green tea’s abundance of beneficial bioactive components is its secret ingredient. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a natural antioxidant and is the most powerful of the catechins found in green tea. The amino acid, vitamin, and mineral content of green tea further enhances its all-around nutritional worth.
What Are the Health Benefits of Green Tea?
Before delving into the potential role of green tea in alcohol withdrawal, it’s essential to understand the extensive health benefits associated with regular green tea consumption. There are several reasons why health professionals often consider green tea as a health drink, including its antioxidant properties, positive effects on heart health, and many more.
Antioxidant Power
The high concentration of antioxidants in green tea is one of its most notable qualities. An essential function of antioxidants is to neutralize free radicals, which are unstable chemicals capable of causing harm to cells. The tea’s ability to fight oxidative stress suggests it might help keep cells healthy and provide some protection against illness.
Heart Health
The beneficial effects of green tea on heart health are the subject of a great deal of research. Those who drink it regularly may be less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and stroke. Drinking green tea may also enhance heart health by lowering levels of “bad” cholesterol, which is short for low-density lipoprotein. Also, it has the potential to improve endothelial function, which is the lining of blood vessels.
Improved Brain Function
Although green tea’s caffeine concentration is smaller than coffee’s, it’s still enough to give you a little pep in your step. Because green tea also contains the amino acid L-theanine, the drink enhances cognitive performance without the jitteriness that comes with excessive caffeine use. This can make you more motivated to exercise or engage in other healthy activities that can promote recovery from alcohol use disorder.
Improved Pancreas Function
Those who have used alcohol excessively, or who drink four to five drinks daily for five years or more, are more likely to have damaged their pancreas through excessive drinking. Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for 17% to 25% of acute pancreatitis cases in the world, and 40% to 70% of chronic pancreatitis cases are found in alcoholics. The antioxidants and polyphenols in green tea, however, have been shown to improve pancreatic function. There is some evidence to suggest that green tea can help fight cancer.
Cancer Prevention
Approximately 5.5% of cancers worldwide can be attributed to alcohol use disorder. People who have consumed excessive amounts of alcohol for many years are more susceptible to cancers of the:
- female breast
- oral cavity
- larynx and pharynx
- liver
- colon and rectum
Research on the anticancer effects of green tea’s powerful antioxidants usually focuses on EGCG in particular. Although there is a lack of conclusive evidence, preliminary studies show that green tea may prevent the formation of cancer cells.
Dental Health
Improved oral health is another benefit of drinking green tea, which has antibacterial qualities. By preventing the proliferation of damaging oral bacteria, catechins in green tea lessen the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease. According to some research, green tea may also promote fresh breath by inhibiting the development of germs that cause bad breath. This is crucial to those with alcohol use disorder because many have dental complications that have arisen from years of drinking.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Many illnesses, such as autoimmune disorders and cardiovascular problems, involve chronic inflammation. Polyphenols, found in green tea, can help reduce inflammation in the body and are responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties. This means that green tea has the potential to improve health and prevent illness by lowering inflammation.
Liver Health
Green tea’s possible advantages in promoting liver health are the subject of research because of the liver’s central function in detoxifying the body. Regular consumption has the potential to enhance liver function and lower the risk of liver disorders. Additionally, green tea may help those with fatty liver disease.
What Happens During Alcohol Withdrawal?
Those addicted to alcohol will encounter alcohol withdrawal when they try to cut down or stop drinking altogether. How much and often a person drinks, their personal health, and any preexisting medical issues are just a few variables that affect the intensity and length of withdrawal symptoms. Anyone thinking about becoming sober or helping someone else become sober needs to know what to expect during alcohol withdrawal.
Sleep Disturbances
Sleep disturbances are a classic sign of alcohol withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms might include night sweats, trouble getting asleep, trouble staying asleep, or disturbing nightmares. It is crucial to treat sleep disruptions as part of the overall withdrawal management plan since insomnia during this time may amplify feelings of anxiety and exhaustion.
Research shows that alcohol’s effects on the central nervous system contribute to the disturbance of sleep. There are shifts in neurotransmitter levels, most notably GABA when the body readjusts to life without alcohol. When GABA levels suddenly drop during withdrawal, it may cause excitability, which in turn might contribute to sleep problems.
Headaches
When going through alcohol withdrawal, headaches are a typical and distressing symptom. Headaches caused by alcohol withdrawal have a complicated set of causes, including changes in neurochemistry, changes in blood flow, and an increase in sensitivity to stimuli. Another typical side effect of drinking too much is dehydration, which may make withdrawal headaches worse.
In the process of adjusting to sobriety, alterations may occur in the brain’s blood vessels, which might lead to varying types of headaches. These headaches may be as subtle as a nagging pain or as severe as a migraine. One way to deal with headaches caused by alcohol withdrawal is to stay well hydrated, eat a healthy diet, and, under medical supervision, possibly use over-the-counter pain medicines.
Shaking and Tremors
Physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, frequently indicating a more severe type of withdrawal called alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), include shaking and tremors. These symptoms are usually referred to as “the shakes.” Most people feel tremors in their hands within a few hours to a day after their last drink.
When the depressing effects of alcohol suddenly wear off, the sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive, which is the root cause of alcohol-induced tremors. In addition to being annoying, tremors may make it hard to go about your day-to-day routine. If the tremors are very severe, medical treatment may be necessary to control them.
Hallucinations
Those experiencing severe alcohol withdrawal may have visual and auditoryhallucinations. Delirium tremens, or alcohol withdrawal delirium (AWD), is a common medical disease that may cause these hallucinations. AWD necessitates prompt medical intervention.
Experts don’t know exactly what causes alcohol withdrawal hallucinations, but they think it has something to do with disruptions in neurotransmitter systems, especially those involving glutamate and GABA.
Can Green Tea Help With Alcohol Withdrawal?
When trying to quit drinking, many people look for supplementary methods to alleviate symptoms and promote general health to supplement medical treatment from trained professionals. Green tea’s special qualities might help with alcohol withdrawal.
Antioxidant Support
Overconsumption of alcohol causes cells and tissues to deteriorate from oxidative stress. Reducing cellular damage during alcohol withdrawal may be possible with the help of green tea’s powerful antioxidant properties that may offset this oxidative stress. On top of that, antioxidants like green tea may have neuroprotective properties, according to certain studies. Green tea’s antioxidant characteristics may help shield neurons from the damaging impacts of oxidative stress while the central nervous system experiences changes during alcohol withdrawal.
Improved Cognitive Function
Lack of the ability to focus and general confusion are both symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. During this time, the cognitive effect of green tea’s caffeine and L-theanine combined may be very useful.
Green tea’s caffeine content makes it a natural stimulant that helps improve focus and memory. It can alleviate the lethargy and brain fog that some people feel as a result of alcohol withdrawal by stimulating the central nervous system. However, it’s important to drink caffeine moderately since too much of it might have negative side effects.
Hydration and Nutrients Support
It is crucial to drink enough water when going through alcohol withdrawal to alleviate symptoms like headaches, exhaustion, and irritability. When included in a well-rounded regimen, green tea may help increase fluid consumption. As an added bonus, green tea offers some nutritional assistance from trace levels of certain vitamins and minerals. Because of the common depletion of these vital vitamins caused by alcohol use, the B vitamins included in green tea, to a lesser degree, take on further significance. However, even though adding green tea to your nutritional plan when you’re sober may help increase your nutrient intake, it shouldn’t be your only dietary supplement.
The Alcohol Awareness Hotline
At Alcohol Awareness, we know how hard it is to find the support you need when you decide to quit drinking. Before you stop consuming alcohol, it is essential to have a plan in place to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms and maintain sobriety after the detox phase of your recovery. When you contact us at (855) 955-0771, we can answer many of your questions about embracing a sober lifestyle. We can also connect you with alcohol addiction resources in your area.