The INFINITE Study
The INFINITE Study is a groundbreaking research study exploring the effects of implementing a nutrient-dense diet and nutrition education in early addiction recovery.
We have partnered with an addiction recovery facility in Austin, TX, where participants will undergo a 10 week intervention through both inpatient and outpatient settings, and then complete follow-up assessments up through one year.
We are exploring the effects of a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet on physical health, mental health, and resilience in addiction recovery.
The study is scheduled to begin December 2019 and continue through December 2021.
Study Background
To date, there has never been a study testing the effects of a dietary intervention on addiction recovery outcomes.
The findings from prior research studies show that :
(1) In general, addiction treatment centers that include nutrition services have enhanced recovery outcomes;
(2) Providing healthy meals and teaching nutrition education in addiction treatment centers can be effective in improving dietary behaviors, body mass index, and waist circumference; and
(3) Food plays an important role in the course of recovery and can benefit or hinder the recovery process based on the context, and this role changes over time.
Using these previous studies as a foundation, we are expanding upon the existing literature by building in more complex research questions regarding the role of nutrition in addiction recovery.
Not only has a study never explored the potential association between nutrition and resilience in recovery, but no study has ever used a plant-based diet, which we anticipate will promote enhanced physical and mental health outcomes due to its high nutrient-density.
Significance
The findings of this study will provide new insights for the field of addiction recovery, and for the relationship between nutrition and mental health.
We plan to not only publish the data in peer-reviewed journals and present at national conferences, but also to work with other addiction recovery centers to implement similar protocols.
The information gathered in this study will not only apply to addiction recovery, but to mental health in general and the universal process of building resilience.