Article At A Glance: N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is the crowning jewel for alcohol cravings, helping to re-balance dopamine and glutamate in the body. NAC Product Recommendation: NAC by Switch Nutrition (use code “CLARITY” for 10% OFF!) Magnesium is the most affordable option, helping to reduce the synthesis of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that governs the intensity of cravings. Magnesium Product Recommendation: Magnesium Advanced by Fusion Health (use code “CLARITY” for 10% OFF!) Glutamine is a game-changer in alcohol cravings, which works by killing off unwanted gut bacteria that are involved in the signalling of cravings. Glutamine Product Recommendation: Pure Glutamine by EHP Labs

Fists clenched, teeth gritted, that gut wrenching pain and internal dialogue that alcohol cravings can bring use to plague my life daily.

Unfortunately, most of the time, the cravings won.

That is until I started upon my sober journey, delved deep into the biology of addiction, and became kind of my own personal guinea pig.

It’s the reason why I started writing Hacking Your Addiction.

In my research, I came across many key nutrients for limitless sobriety, but three stood out as compounds that could actually help with alcohol cravings.

Let’s dive in.

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)

I consider this compound to be the crowning jewel for cravings, as it’s not only been extensively studied with alcohol cravings, but also cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis too.

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a precursor of the amino acid L-cysteine, and is most commonly used in the body to influence the production of glutathione, one of the body’s most potent anti-oxidant (Mokhtari et al., 2016).

How does NAC help with alcohol cravings though? The primary mechanism of NAC is its ability to restore dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitter dysregulation.

Bringing these two neurotransmitters back into balance is often the primary key in reducing the signal we get that triggers alcohol cravings.

Learn more about N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) over in this article.

Looking try it out yourself? Healthwise make a good pure NAC supplement.

Optimal Dose: Studies show between 1,200 – 2,400mg / daily have the most positive reported outcomes (Ooi et al., 2018).

Note: NAC has been in short supply during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its use as a therapeutic strategy for COVID-19 treatment (Shi & Puyo, 2020). NAC is also a potent supplement to improve immune function, and modulate inflammation in the body.

Magnesium (Mg)

Magnesium (Mg) is another great and extremely affordable option for assisting with alcohol cravings, and you can practically get it anywhere.

It’s best to note though, a good form, such as Magnesium glycinate or Magnesium citrate should be purchased.

Read more about the different forms of Magnesium in this article.

Similar to NAC, Magnesium helps to restore balance between glutamate and gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which creates a more rested and relaxed state (Nechifor, 2011).

Magnesium also reduces the stimulus of dopamine synthesis, which governs the intensity of our cravings. When we lower dopamine levels, we lower the desire for more booze.

If you’re after a good magnesium recommendation, Fusion Health Magnesium Advanced is a great option.

Optimal Dose: 400-600 elemental magnesium daily.

Glutamine

Lastly, is Glutamine, which I’ve actually coined as a pretty big game-changer in this article, due to its ability to diffusing alcohol cravings rapidly.

See, Glutamine has the ability to kill unwanted bacteria in the gut, some of which are involved in signalling the intense cravings we get (Perna et al., 2019).

Studies have actually shown that alcohol causes an imbalance in our gut microbiome, which also impacts neurotransmitter production, including GABA, Serotonin and Dopamine (Qamar et al., 2019).

Alterations in these neurotransmitter pathways often govern our cognition; mood and behaviour that are attributed to alcohol addiction.

If you’re looking to start supplementing with glutamine, finding something pure such as Optimum Nutrition Glutamine is recommended.

Optimal Dose: 5-10g to keep your alcohol cravings at bay.

If you have any questions regarding this article, reach out.

References

• Nechifor, M. (2011). Magnesium in drug abuse and addiction. Magnesium in the Central Nervous System, 333-344. https://doi.org/10.1017/upo9780987073051.025
• Ooi, S. L., Green, R., & Pak, S. C. (2018). N-acetylcysteine for the treatment of psychiatric disorders: A review of current evidence. BioMed Research International, 2018, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2469486
• Perna, S., Alalwan, T. A., Alaali, Z., Alnashaba, T., Gasparri, C., Infantino, V., Hammad, L., Riva, A., Petrangolini, G., Allegrini, P., & Rondanelli, M. (2019). The role of glutamine in the complex interaction between gut microbiota and health: A narrative review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(20), 5232. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20205232
• Qamar, N., Castano, D., Patt, C., Chu, T., Cottrell, J., & Chang, S. L. (2019). Meta-analysis of alcohol induced gut dysbiosis and the resulting behavioral impact. Behavioural Brain Research, 376, 112196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112196
• Shi, Z., & Puyo, C. A. (2020). N-acetylcysteine to combat COVID-19: An evidence review. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, 16, 1047-1055. https://doi.org/10.2147/tcrm
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