Study: Health Supplement May Curb Addiction of Problem Gamblers

University of Minnesota researchers have discovered that a common amino acid, available as a health food supplement, may help curb pathological gamblers’ addiction.

In a recent eight-week trial, 27 people were given increasing doses of the amino acid, N-acetyl cysteine, which has an impact on the chemical glutamate – often associated with reward in the brain. At the end of the trial, 60 percent of the participants reported fewer urges to gamble. The research will be published in the Sept.15, 2007 issue of Biological Psychiatry.

“It looks very promising,” says Jon Grant, a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the study. “We were able to reduce people’s urges to gamble.”

Those who responded well in the first round of the study were asked to continue to participate in a double-blind study – a testing method where neither the researcher nor subjects know who is in the control group until the study is finished.

Of the 16 who responded to the amino acid the first time around, 13 agreed to continue in the double-blind study (three didn’t want to risk quitting the drug) for an additional six weeks.

About 83 percent who received the supplement, continued to report fewer urges to gamble. Nearly 72 percent of those who took the placebo went back to gambling.

Similar studies using N-acetyl cysteine have shown its ability to curb drug addictions in animals, and a current University of Minnesota study conducted by Grant is investigating whether the drug could help methamphetamine users quit.

“This research could be encouraging for a lot of addictions,” Grant says.

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Vitamin Supplements: More Not Necessarily Better

All vitamin supplements are not created equal. In fact, you need to do a little research when it comes to what supplements you should be taking, according to a new report from Harvard Medical School.

The report offers the following advice:

• Look for a seal of approval. Choose products that bear the U.S. Pharmacopeia Dietary Supplement Verification Program (USP-DSVP) mark, which indicates that the manufacturer has complied with certain standards.


• Consider safe levels. All dietary supplements have a "Supplement Facts" label that lists the percentage of the daily value (DV) of each nutrient per serving, as well as the actual amount of each. Multivitamin and multimineral supplements shouldn't exceed 150% of the DV for any nutrient. In fact, for trace minerals, such as iron, fluoride, and zinc, it's safest not to exceed the DV at all.


• Ignore marketing gimmicks. It doesn't matter whether vitamin C is derived from organic rose hips or synthesized in large batches in a laboratory; your body will use the resulting product similarly. Also, if you're not sensitive to specific ingredients, such as wheat, rice, or lactose, there's no need to pay more for allergen-free products.
• Don't pay more for unproven extras. There is virtually no evidence that herbs and other nonvitamin ingredients added to supplements -- such as echinacea, bioflavonoids, and ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) -- are essential for your health.
• Beware of potentially dangerous interactions. Pay attention to warnings on the label, and tell your doctor and pharmacist what supplements you take.

"Vitamins and Minerals: What you Need to Know" is a 48-page report edited by Meier Stampfer, M.D., Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health.

Also included in the report:

• detailed explanations of each vitamin's and mineral's physiological effects
• the latest recommendations on each vitamin and mineral
• current research on how specific vitamins and minerals affect health
• how to create a healthy and balanced diet.

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