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Does Argan Oil Treat Alcohol Addiction?

a bottle of Morocco Argan oil

The Argan Oil Association of America (AOAA) is very excited to tell you about a study published last month in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. According to researchers, the study was designed to investigate Argan oil (AO), a natural vegetable oil known for its diverse pharmacological benefits. More specifically, it was designed to evaluate the oil “for its potential to mitigate addictive-like behaviors and brain damage induced by adolescent intermittent ethanol intoxication (IEI) and unpredictable mild stress (UMS).”

As they write, “Adolescence marked by binge-like alcohol exposure can lead to long-term adverse consequences, including an elevated risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD).” Moreover:

Stress and alcohol exposure during adolescence interact in complex ways, affecting impulsivity, behavioral inhibition, and stress sensitivity, with these effects potentially persisting into adulthood.

Let’s jump right to the conclusion: “These findings suggest that AO’s neuroprotective properties could offer a potential therapeutic avenue for reducing ethanol/stress-induced brain damage and addiction.” 

Well! How soon can we get our hands on some amazing argan oil elixir? To whom at AOAA should I send my thanks for bringing this supplement to my attention? Take my money, please!

Joking, of course. 

This study, however, is absolutely real. Argan oil is a staple of Morocco and is used in a variety of ways, including as an ingredient in cosmetics. Recent findings indicate that the oil has a range of potentially useful properties, including antiproliferative, antidiabetic, and cardiovascular-protective effects. Science may discover yet more beneficial properties. The effect of AO on people under stress and using alcohol in this study is indeed interesting. 

But the AOAA? That’s a trade group entirely made up (by me) in service of selling (you) some AO (argan oil). One study, and the veneer of industry-reviewed respectability, are all that’s needed to extrapolate wild claims. That’s a potential problem.

Here, friend, is our dilemma. Do supplements play a role in addressing addiction? Should they be part of your recovery strategy?

It depends on who you ask.

Is Argan Oil to Fight Alcoholism the Next “Big Thing”?

Live long enough, and you can rattle off the supplement trends that have come and gone in service of fixing a particular problem. A few years ago one might have thought coconut oil gave you levitation powers!

What is real is this. The U.S. supplement industry is enormous. In 2023 it was estimated to be worth $53.58 billion. With an aging population, more self-directed, preventative care, and other factors, the supplement industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7% from 2024 to 2030. 

While nearly 60% of adults over the age of 20 reported “consuming at least one dietary supplement within the past month, few people understand how they are produced, manufactured, and regulated” writes Jessica Bury. She adds:

A 2019 survey indicated that a majority of Americans overestimate the FDA’s role in regulating supplements, assuming that the FDA tests supplements before sale or that supplement manufacturers must prove to the FDA that their products are safe or effective. The law requires that every supplement bottle contains a label notifying consumers that “[t]his statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” This does little to clarify misinformation or counter consumer’s assumptions. (Emphasis added.)

Supplements are aggressively marketed to all Americans. We might charitably estimate that the sale of any specific supplement in service to address an addiction contains 1% good intention to help and 99% intention to extract money from your wallet. Without rigorous scientific evaluation, who can say for sure?

Placebos, Not Pills

Any addiction-managing effects of a supplement are more likely due to the placebo effect. People associate the ritual of taking medicine with a positive healing effect, explains Dr. Howard LeWine. His medical interest is in what happens in the brain when people use placebos.

As the NIH explains:

[A]ll treatments are delivered in a context that includes social and physical cues, verbal suggestions and treatment history. This context is actively interpreted by the brain and can elicit expectations, memories and emotions, which in turn can influence health-related outcomes in the brain and body. Placebo effects are thus brain-body responses to context information that promote health and well-being.

So, could a supplement like Argan oil — or something else — help? Sure. As the article about the placebo effect Dr. Le Wine reviewed, phrases it: “All this [medical attention] can have a profound impact on how the body perceives symptoms because you feel you are getting attention and care.” 

The perception of care might be the greatest value a supplement of any kind can offer. 

Let’s return again to the AO study. It is yet another that shows an explicit tie between alcohol use and stress. That might yield further scientific insights and be genuinely of use. 

Save your money. Most people in recovery should view supplements with a critical eye. Not because they are wrong to use, but because we should focus first on self-care (nutrition, exercise) and community support and contribution for truly lasting results.

Written by Katie McCaskey. First published October 17, 2024.

Sources:

“Behavioral and Amygdala Biochemical Damage Induced by Alternating Mild Stress and Ethanol Intoxication in Adolescent Rats: Reversal by Argan Oil Treatment?,” MDPI.com, 2024.

”Therapeutic potential of argan oil: a review,” Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, November 4, 2010.

Dietary Supplements Market Size, Industry Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, Fatty Acids, Proteins, and Others), Form (Tablets, Capsules, Liquids, and Powders), and Regional Forecasts, 2021-2028,” Fortune Business Insights, September 30, 2024.

“A Bitter Pill to Swallow: America’s Unregulated Supplement Industry and the Cost to Consumers,” Illinois Business Law Journal, Summer 2024.

“The neuroscience of placebo effects: connecting context, learning and health,” NIH, July 2015.

“The power of the placebo effect,” Harvard Health Publishing, July 22, 2024.

“Vitamins, supplements are a ‘waste of money’ for most Americans,” Northwestern Now, June 21, 2022.

“Exercise in the Treatment of Addiction: A Systematic Literature Review,” Sage Journals, April 29, 2022.

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