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Briiisk Journal of Addiction (IM2) 87, 119S-U97 





" •*««<«• i.i««*^ 



RESEARCH REPORT 



Can carrots be addictive? An extraordinary form 

 of drug dependence 



LUDEK CERNY" & KAREL £ERNY= 



' Aneiatcoholie Depanment, Psychiatric Clinic, ApoUnarska 4, Prague 2 6" ' Department of 

 Experimental Oncology, Narcdni 8, Prague 2, Ciecho Slovakia 



Abccract 



The paper deicribes three eaiet of depeniersce on carotenoldt toith typical symptoms of irritability and 

 nervousness aceampanyirg their abstinence, taith a long-term dependence, and an inahili^ to ttmply 

 discontinue. Three patienis (a man and too tcomen} ell being smokers, evaluaud this dependence as riery 

 similar to thai on tobacco. The limiiation of further use had the same effect in bock CMes, The toomen evaluate 

 the dependence as stronger than Owt on dgaretut, the man as lomeahat toeaker. The former patient — a 

 tooman — even relapsed, and recently found herself in danger af further relapse. This, homever, the nipped in 

 the bud. Lohoraiory enzyme examinations revealed a disorder in the eniymaiie outfit affecting the auto- 

 immunity and the nettrovegetattae system. 



latroduction 



Casci of hypercaroccnemu arc eomuatered io che 

 lilentuce only ipotidieiUy, Case icudiet hive 

 deicribc<l ikc physical changes <2u: (a malnuuitioa, 

 decnal changes, panicu'.ariy ia cbU^ceo but have left 

 the psychological state: of tb«< cases uare- 

 cotded.'-'^-* Hughes & Wcoteti met with hypemr- 

 oienemia as early as 1919, (cfcfcoce is made to it ia 

 their work The Orange people.* The subjects wete 

 two agriculiunl vorixn whose diet had coositted 

 predominantly of carrots nod i?!natocs. Their sUn 

 wai orange in -colour. The study includes no 

 description whatsoever of their pi ychologtca! state 

 No reference is made to tfceit furrher life history. 



In my psychiatric practice I have racouniercd 

 three cases of hypcicarotcnemia, accompanied by 

 typical symptoms of drug depeodeace. 



AaalynU 



I came across ihc first case of this kind » early as 



195< in the Prague psychiatric clinic where a 35- 



year-old woman was hospitalised because of t 

 neurotic distutbaoce and the was consuming 

 approximately 1 kg of raw carrots daily. Her skia ts 

 well as the sderae of her eyes were coloured dark 

 orange. Carrots were most difGculi lo procure in 

 winter but she had to get hold of ihem at uy 

 price. Their lack made her aiCta from typical 

 withdrawal symptoms with a marked ncrvouscess 

 Mate. After discharge from hospital, sbc was lost to 

 follow-up. 



In 198S. a 38-year-old nurse aiiended for help. 

 Patient A. L. was born iit 1947 and worked as a 

 nurse. Sbc had commenced smoking at 18 years of 

 age, stopped during pregnancy and at preseotation 

 ihe smoked 20 cigarettes daily. She consumed 

 alcohol only occasionally and also occasionally 

 drank 2-3 cups of coffee daily when at work, but 

 only one cup when at home. She is married with one 

 daughter. 



She started coniuming carrots during her first 

 pregnancy ui 1970 when she sulTered fromcardial- 

 gie and <-ice(s acidity of «omich fluids, accompan- 



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