Nutritional Interventions Against Opioid Addiction

Opioid use disorders (OUDs) constitute a major global public health challenge, characterized by high relapse rates, overdose risk, and social and economic burden. While the gold standard medication for addiction treatments, namely methadone and buprenorphine, appear to be effective, they do not fully address the complex biochemical and clinical factors underlying addiction. Methadone and buprenorphine induce dose-dependent oxidative stress, which is a biochemical side effect, related to inflammation that compromises normal cell function. Concurrently, OUDs are accompanied by poor dietary habits and deficiencies, and impaired uptake of antioxidant compounds. Consequently, patients with OUDs are vulnerable to non-communicable diseases, thus, they are stigmatized and face serious health inequalities. Another relevant serious issue is the exacerbation in administration of over-the-counter opioid-rich painkillers that intensifies the problem. Therefore, nutritional interventions, either targeted supplementation of bioactive compounds or dietary patterns, are considered promising auxiliary strategies, along with standard medication, to support trajectory towards rehabilitation.Addiction to opioids is a major health issue that is primarily addressed through pharmacological and psychological therapeutic approaches. Nevertheless, the frequency of overdose deaths and relapse rates remains high, whereas the percentage of patients who manage to reach rehabilitation and societal reintegration is extremely low. Noteworthy, patients with OUDs have dietary patterns with confined uptake of macro- and micronutrients, as well as antioxidant bioactive compounds. Therefore, they become susceptible to several redox-related non-communicable diseases. Of note, a major problem worldwide is also the excessive uptake of over-the-counter painkillers, which are rich in opioids. Therefore, this Research Topic aims to advance understanding of how targeted nutritional interventions can complement existing pharmacological treatments to improve the quality of life of patients with OUDs and to promote recovery. Recent evidence in this modern field dictates that diet-based strategies may reduce withdrawal symptoms, stabilize mood, and enhance quality of life through reducing opioid craving and blood redox status of patients with OUDs. Additionally, personalized nutrition and microbiome-focused therapies offer promising avenues for tailored care. By integrating clinical, mechanistic, biochemical and translational research, this Research Topic seeks to identify evidence-based dietary strategies that could putatively be incorporated into comprehensive addiction treatment frameworks.The target of this Research Topic is to explore the role of nutritional strategies in the prevention, management, and recovery of opioid addiction. Therefore, it welcomes studies that include, but are not limited to: • The effects of nutritional interventions with plant antioxidants or natural products that are able to alter redox status of patients with OUDs. • The impact of micro- and macro-nutrient deficiencies on opioid addiction. • Dietary patterns and their influence on withdrawal and relapse. • The role of the gut-brain axis and microbiome modulation. • The role of over-the-counter medicines on opioid addiction. Contributions addressing personalized nutrition, metabolic dysfunction, and inflammation in OUDs are encouraged as well. Interdisciplinary studies integrating nutrition, physical activity/exercise, neuroscience, psychiatry, and public health are also in the scope. We welcome a range of manuscript types, including original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials, narrative reviews and short reviews. Topic editors: Aristidis Veskoukis, Christonikos Leventelis, George Metsios Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80372/nutritional-interventions-against-opioid-addiction