Glutamine Reduces Alcohol Consumption and Cravings

Glutamine is an amino acid which is found in food and which can also be manufactured inside the human body. As early as 1955 Dr. Lorene Rogers and her colleagues published data in a peer reviewed scientific journal which demonstrated that when glutamine is administered orally to rats it reduces their alcohol consumption to a statistically significant degree. Dr Rogers and her colleagues found a 35% reduction of alcohol consumption in rats in comparison to a control period. The full text of Dr. Roger's paper can be read online here.

Additional research in the 1950s and 60s demonstrated significant reduction in alcohol consumption and cravings as well. Our reference section gives a listing of articles on this topic which were published in peer-reviewed journals.

Little research has been done on glutamine in recent years because pharmaceutical companies seldom fund research on drugs which are in the public domain and cannot be patented.

REFERENCES:

Garbin O., Vartanian V. (1968). Trattamento dell´alcolismo con l-glutammina per via parenterale. [Treatment of alcoholism with parenteral administration of L-glutamine] [Article in Italian] Minerva Medica. 59: 4254-4261.
PubMed Info

Garbin O., Vartanian V. (1969). Abitudine o tossicomania? Osservazioni dopo trattamento dell´alcolista con l-glutammina. [Habit or addiction: observations after treatment of alcoholics with L-glutamine] [Article in Italian] La Clinica Terapeutica., 51: 367-371.
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Mouren P., Tatossian A., Trouphème R., Guin M. (1965). Traitement des éthiliques chroniques par la monoamide de l´acide l-glutamique (à propos de 36 observations). [Treatment of chronic alcoholics by L-glutamic acid mono-amide (apropos of 36 cases)] [Article in French] Annales médico-psychologiques. (Paris). 123: 486-494.
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Rogers LL, Pelton RB. (1957). Glutamine in the treatment of alcoholism; a preliminary report. Q J Stud Alcohol. Dec 18(4):581-7.
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Rogers LL, Pelton RB. (1958). Effect of behavior-altering drugs on alcohol consumption by rats. Tex Rep Biol Med. 16(1):133-6.
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Rogers LL, Pelton RB, Williams RJ. (1955). Voluntary alcohol consumption by rats following administration of glutamine. J Biol Chem. Jun;214(2):503-6.
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Rogers LL, Pelton RB, Williams RJ. (1956). Amino acid supplementation and voluntary alcohol consumption by rats. J Biol Chem. May;220(1):321-3.
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Stolt G. (1968). Glutamin vid alkoholintoxikation. En dubbel-blind-prövning. [Glutamine in the treatment of alcoholic intoxication. A double-blind trial] [Article in Swedish] Nordisk psykiatrisk tidsskrift. 22(1):39-43.
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Williams RJ, Pelton RB, Hakkinen HM, Rogers LL. Identification of blood characteristics common to alcoholic males. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1958 Feb;44(2):216-22.
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