No ethnic group is adapted to carbs particularly well. The time plentiful carbs have been available to even the oldest line of people, isn't long enough for them to have adapted to them. As I understand it, genetic adaptation works on a slower time scale. So I don't think a difference of maybe 10,000 years is going to make a big difference in terms of adaptation. And really we're talking about less time than that, because we've only recently made advances in agriculture that made it possible to make carbs the majority of our diet.

I have to say this is probably one of the brighter posts on this thread.

Perhaps the chemical imbalance when treated by supplements and nutrition medicates the problem and relieves the symptoms.

There have been studies linking alcoholism, depression and other physical and mental problems with a deficiency in vitamin/mineral levels such as vitamin D, zinc and selenium.

Or maybe those people who WANT to quit drinking, are willing to try this treatment and it then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that the nutritional regime helps them quit.

Could be as simple as the healthy nutritional program counteracts to some extent, the negative feelings of withdrawal.

There are explanations other than cause-and-effect, is all I'm suggesting. If alcoholism were a necessary consequence of poor nutrition, I'd think there would be even more alcoholism.

Studies linking these problems with nutritional states, demonstrate correlations and jump to conclusions regarding cause-and-effect. It may be that poor nutrition is a consequence of alcoholism, not a cause. As in the sugar craving by manic-depressives I mentioned earlier.

Don't get me wrong, I'm open to the idea that nutrition might play a supporting role in treatment of problems such as alcoholism. Good nutrition sets up a healthy body, which can improve one's outlook on life by itself. And give one the strength to go through the tough times associated with withdrawal, etc.

I also believe that a high carb diet sets up a general inflammatory condition within the body, and makes one more prone to environmental irritants. I can't see how this might relate to the abuse of drugs and alcohol, but I am open to suggestions regarding a possible connection.

I don't think that anyone is suggesting that low carbing can cure alcoholism. Whatever imbalances caused you to seek an addictive substance in the first place aside, once you are addicted to the alcohol, you've also got that to deal with in addition to the imbalances.
But...since many alcoholics are hypoglycemic and the hypoglycemia itself can be a trigger for drinking, it stands to reason that dealing with the hypoglycemia trigger can make it easier to quit drinking since the addict is then only dealing with one issue, not two; the deck is less stacked against them, so to speak. As for the supplements, there are several that are quite helpful in stabilizing blood sugar, so that isn't such a far-fetched idea, either.

I guess I got the impression that it was "nutrition versus AA", but I guess that is the attitude of the old guard. The utility of a combined approach could have merit for some people.

If sugar cravings are a result of the same imbalance that triggers the abuse problem, it might be a tough row to hoe to go LC. Kind of like doing low fat, you can only fight cravings for so long. They'd likely experience satiety problems that we don't feel.

After reading this thread, I have broken down and bought some wine. I haven't had any alcohol since June!

Wait a minute! This is not correct. The pancreas does not increase blood sugar, and alcohol does not stimulate insulin.

Quite the opposite. Alcohol inhibits gluconeogenesis which is one reason that many alcoholics are hypoglycemic; their bodies are unable to produce glucose when blood sugar levels drop and there is no food coming in.
This article covers the hypoglycemic cycle as it relates to alcoholism fairly well.

This article gives an interesting perspective on the relationship between a person's diet and alcoholism as well as some of the nutritional deficiencies that result from alcoholism.