Food and nutrition.pdf

Diet and Health 17even a well-balanced diet may be inadequate. Nutritional problems arealso caused by an increased nutrient requirement to detoxify andmetabolize drugs, inactivation of vitamins and coenzymes needed tometabolize energy, inadequate nutrient storage in the liver, malabsorption,poor utilization of nutrients, breakdown of organs, and increased loss ofnutrients through diuresis and diarrhoea.Table. Estimated Sales of Over-the-CounterInternal Medications (Millions of dollars)Category of Medications 1982 1985 1990Analgesics 1484 1844 2490Cough, cold, allergy, sinus 1269 1659 2241Digestive aids 1228 1393 1654Motion sickness 25 33 43Sleep aids/sedatives 41 50 66Appetite suppressants" 229 280 350Vitamins and minerals" 1031 1509 2176$5307 $6768 $9020Figures are for estimated retail sales through retail outlets.Nutrition care is defined to include an elevation of the addict'snutritional status at detoxification, supervision of nutritional rehabilitationthrough delivery of palatable, nourishing meals and supplements thatencourage normal eating patterns, and provision of nutritional counsellingto help the addict develop an eating plan supportive of stable recovery.Chemical dependence is a bio-psychosocial disease. Patients with acompromised liver function have a narrow therapeutic window for ironor fat-soluble vitamin supplements and may even be in a condition ofiron overload. Therefore the use of high-potency vitamin or mineralsupplements should be discouraged unless clinical evidence of nutritionaldeficiency is present.The majority of abusers have suppressed immune status, which iscompounded by an inadequate diet. Abusers exposed to the humanimmunodeficiency virus (HIV) are thus at greater risk for contracting HIVinfection. Unless rectified, a poor diet may be one factor in stimulatingpropagation of the virus toward more severe stages of HIV infection.If AIDS is diagnosed in the patient in treatment, nutrition monitoringis essential. Adequate-calorie, nutrient-dense diets, with supportive oraggressive supplementation if indicated, are essential.Nutritional recovery is a component of the physical foundation forrehabilitation that precedes healthy mental, emotional, and spiritualrecovery. Patients need to eat regularly and prudently. An eating patternthat emphasizes complex carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein,