This Natural Antioxidant Can Help During Meth Detox

A study published in the October 2013 edition of the journal Neuroscience Letters found that resveratrol, a natural plant compound, has the ability to block the euphoric effects of methamphetamine. This breakthrough, if proven effective on humans, could significantly reduce a user’s susceptibility to meth addiction.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), approximately 13 million people over the age of 12 have abused methamphetamine in their lifetimes. The highly addictive drug targets the brain’s “feel good” chemicals and stimulates the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. With continued use, meth causes problems with concentration, memory, and cognition.

Resveratrol Helping the Detox Process

When someone abuses meth, dopamine levels in the brain surge; this increase creates the motivation to continue using the drug, despite the adverse consequences. With repeated methamphetamine abuse, the brain’s dopamine neurons begin to degenerate. This damage leads to life-altering neurological and behavioral impairments.

…they showed a substantial decrease in methamphetamine-related hyperactivity and dopamine spikes.
Rather than using human beings for their work, University of Missouri researchers conducted laboratory experiments using rats. The animals were given an amount of resveratrol that was roughly equal to the amount in a “normal” human diet. When given one large dose of resveratrol, the rats showed no decrease in the impact of methamphetamine exposure. However, when the rats were given smaller daily doses, they showed a substantial decrease in methamphetamine-related hyperactivity and dopamine spikes.

What is Resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a natural compound thought to have antioxidant properties. The plant compound is found in the skin of red grapes and grape products like red wine and purple grape juice, cranberries, blueberries, bilberries, peanuts, and peanut butter. Since there have been very few resveratrol studies conducted on humans, scientists still can’t confirm the benefits of this plant compound or the effects it will have with long-term use. However, medical experts and researchers have yet to see any dangerous side effects from resveratrol, even in large doses.

The plant compound is found in the skin of red grapes and grape products like red wine and purple grape juice, cranberries, blueberries, bilberries, peanuts, and peanut butter.

Resveratrol and Treating Meth Addiction

Researchers from the University of Missouri study believe a diet with slightly increased levels of the resveratrol compound will be suitable for people receiving treatment for methamphetamine addiction. During the treatment process, its use could lead to a substantial reduction in the drug cravings that typically complicate and interfere with achieving and maintaining abstinence from methamphetamine abuse.

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