Why do addictions happen? / Dopamine Ups & Downs, Cravings, Neurobiology & Neuroscience

I prepared a summary to introduce you to this topic:

The crucial brain reward neurotransmitter activated by addictive drugs is dopamine, specifically in the “second-stage” ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens link in the brain’s reward circuitry. This has been learned over many decades of research, and is based upon many congruent findings.

When we crave something, it signals our brain’s demand for a substance or action linked to pleasure or alleviation of discomfort. This demand triggers the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which stimulates the brain’s reward pathways, creating a compelling urge for the craved item or activity.

Animal studies have shown that when cortisol is released with chronic stress, changes in the brain’s response can lead to lower dopamine levels and increased cravings. Stress has also been associated with increased levels of the hormone ghrelin, again causing stronger cravings.

Today, Crystal meth releases more dopamine in the brain compared to any other drug. Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter that serves a number of functions, including the feeling of pleasure. When crystal meth leads to a powerful surge of dopamine in the brain, people feel motivated to seek it out again and again.

Additionally, the intensified dopamine response in the brain that mood-altering drugs produce does not naturally stop once the behaviour is initiated or completed (as is the case with natural reward behaviours such as eating or having sex); as a result, cravings for the rewards associated with the drug continue to occur.

Dopamine affects movement, emotion, learning, reward, and executive functions. High levels may result in impulsiveness and aggression, while low levels may lead to tiredness and a lack of motivation.

High dopamine symptoms include anxiety, excessive energy, insomnia, and hallucinations. Low dopamine levels are associated with brain fog, mood swings, and muscle spasms.

When we constantly overstimulate ourselves with things like excessive screen time, gaming, and unhealthy eating, it can lead to issues like addiction and poor mental health. During a dopamine detox, you have to avoid activities like social media, gaming, junk food, and even work.

Engage in Natural Dopamine-Boosting Activities: Physical exercise, meditation, exposure to sunlight, engaging in hobbies, and listening to music can naturally increase dopamine levels. These activities not only help in elevating mood but also in reducing cravings.

*Seeking for more info & help? Visit https://www.uk-rehab.com/addiction/psychology/reward-system/

1 Nov 2023

Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses the science of addiction, focusing on the role of dopamine to understand why quick rewards make addiction so hard to combat. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab podcast.

2 Nov 2023

Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses the dopamine-driven cycle of craving and motivation.

*Seeking for more info & help? Visit https://www.uk-rehab.com/addiction/psychology/reward-system/

How hormones work in our metabolism | ghrelin, leptin & insulin | health

Ghrelin, leptin & Insulin !  Metabolism: Calories vs Hormones !

Links to Dr. Fung’s books! The Diabetes Code: https://amzn.to/2uLTzcq The Longevity Solution: https://amzn.to/2uomnF8 The Complete Guide to Fasting: https://amzn.to/2Elfd70 The Obesity Code: https://amzn.to/2Fj9P6R Free eCourse: https://courses.highintensityhealth.c… New Live Webinar: http://bit.ly/2VjtFJj ➢ MCT On the Go: https://amzn.to/2UMLxIR ➢ Link to Mouth Tape: https://amzn.to/2Ll436p

04:03 The Calories notion is false. 13:54 We have a mechanism in our body that determines how fat we get.

19:39 Your body weight set point is being reset upward. 20:23 To reset your body weight set point, you need to get your insulin low for a significant amount of time in order to get your leptin levels low.

24:14 When you eat all day, you are telling your body to store fat all day and you get fat. 25:07 Fat storage is a hormonal signal, not a caloric signal.

29:41 Intermittent fasting is not about how many calories you eat. It is about the time that you are not eating. 31:24 Insulin inhibits lipolysis, stopping you from burning fat. 32:24 On a 7 day water only fast, your insulin falls and you switch from burning food to burning fat.

33:13 During fasting, as your insulin falls, you get a counter-regulatory hormone surge, increasing adrenaline, noradrenaline, growth hormone and cortisol. 33:53 There is a period of gluconeogenesis at around 24 hours into fasting. You will burn protein, not muscle.

35:40 If the old protein is never broken down, you cannot build new protein. 37:26 You get much better retention of lean mass with an intermittent fasting strategy over cutting calories. 38:24 Biggest Loser style diets sink metabolic rates.

42:15 Women can fast. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. Women have higher ghrelin spikes. 43:01 If you don’t eat over 24 hours ghrelin spikes 3 times, at breakfast, lunch and dinner, then drops. Hunger does not continue to increase.

45:04 Cravings disappear with fasting and keto. 49:38 You can eat high carb foods and keep low insulin. 51:09 Sugar is more fattening than other carbohydrates. 53:51 Natural foods have natural satiety mechanisms.

01:08:31 Type 2 diabetes is misunderstood by doctors. 01:10:08 Blood glucose is a symptom of type 2 diabetes. We treat the symptom, not the disease. 01:12:15 Type 2 diabetes is reversible, except for the very late stage. 01:16:42 The longer you’ve been overweight the more it effects weight loss.

01:18:08 There are conflicts of interest in medicine. Much evidence is produced by pharmaceutical companies. Universities take funding from industry and produce shoddy research. 01:30:21 Bias in nutrition science is rampant and has stymied the advancement of actual science. Special interest needs to be out of research.

if u would like to learn more about this subject, you can visit: 

https://brainperks4u.wordpress.com/2019/05/05/when-you-fast-you-feel-more-o-less-hunger-what-happens-with-ur-ghrelin-levels-health/

https://brainperks4u.wordpress.com/2019/05/05/can-fasting-cause-muscle-loss-or-high-insuline-levels-or-increase-of-hunger-and-ghrelin-levels-nephrologist-jason-fung-health/

Can fasting cause muscle loss or high insuline levels or increase of hunger and ghrelin levels ? | nephrologist jason fung | health

What is fasting ? What is ketosis ?

Dr. Jason Fung discusses how fasting changed your hormones, enhances fat loss and why it doesn’t lead to muscle loss.

➢New Video w/ Dr. Fung: https://youtu.be/jXXGxoNFag4

The Complete Guide to Fasting: https://amzn.to/2Elfd70

The Obesity Code: https://amzn.to/2Fj9P6R

➢Free Keto Primer eCourse https://courses.highintensityhealth.c…

➢ New Webinar on Autophagy: http://bit.ly/2VjtFJj

➢ MCT On the Go: https://amzn.to/2UMLxIR

Other Books by Dr. Fung: The Diabetes Code: https://amzn.to/2uLTzcq

The Longevity Solution: https://amzn.to/2uomnF8

What is fasting ? how to burn fat and carbohydrates ? type 2 diabetes & insuline resistance metabolisms | health

Nephrologist Jason Fung explains and describes fasting, diabetes, storing energy and fat, burning carbohydrates and fat, insuline and metabolism

Jason Fung: The Complete Guide to Fasting (& how to burn fat) Full Interview & transcript: http://180nutrition.com.au/180-tv/jas… View the complete transcript on our website here: https://180nutrition.com.au/180-tv/ja… This week welcome to the show Jason Fung.

He is a Toronto based nephrologist. He completed medical school and internal medicine at the University of Toronto before finishing his nephrology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles at the Cedars-Sinai hospital. He joined Scarborough General Hospital in 2001 where he continues to practice.

Questions we ask in this episode: Fasting can be intimidating and scary. ie: I will starve, waste-away and lose my muscle. Should we be fearful? Is fasting for everyone? The weight loss industry tells us to eat less calories, but snack between meals.

Won’t fasting put us into starvation mode? Does fasting give us a license to eat whatever we want when we are not fasting? Can fasting benefit athletes and how would they apply it?

When you fast you feel more o less hunger ? What happens with ur ghrelin levels ? | health

What is the difference between eating less and fasting ? 

What is ketosis ?

Is ur metabolism burning carbohydrates or fat ?

This is about the drastic physiological differences between fasting and eating less *NOTE* One of the key things in being able to fast in a healthy matter is entering the state of ketosis – that is, switching your metabolism from burning carbohydrate to burning fat.

*Considering most people have been burning carbohydrate their whole lives* this can make fasting a challenge.

Upton Sinclair recommends doing quite long fasts – 12 days, but you may want to work your way up to longer fasts. Unless you are relatively keto adapted (or have experience with fasting of course), it’s important that you take precautions while doing a fast. Fasting isn’t inherently dangerous, *but diving into fasting when your body is in no way geared for it can be.*

I recommend doing more research before doing longer fasts. “The Complete Guide to Fasting” (http://amzn.to/2tQjxXa) is a good book to start with. As Tim Ferriss puts it: Please don’t do anything stupid and kill yourself. It would make us both quite unhappy.

Just in case I should also say that of course you need to balance fasting with eating – You need to survive off of something. I have been doing intermittent fasting the past year (22 hours fasted, 2 hours eating – you can widen it to 16/8, which still provides great benefits) and will fast for a couple days every other month or so. Several other people have recommend a routine like this – Tim Ferriss recommends doing a 3 day fast once per month and a 7 day fast once per year.

Also make sure you’re getting enough fat, protein, micronutrients and fiber to maintain a healthy weight and healthy body – *excessive* fasting can be very dangerous. Books Mentioned: “The Obesity Code” by Dr. Jason Fung – http://amzn.to/2rXtalh “The Fasting Cure” by Upton Sinclair – (If you google the title you can find the full book online) “Tools of Titans” by Tim Ferriss –

You should always consult and visit a professional doctor !

 

Dr. Jason Fung completed medical school and internal medicine at the University of Toronto before finishing his nephrology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles at the Cedars-Sinai hospital.

He now has a practice in Ontario, Canada where he uses his Intensive Dietary Management program to help all sorts of patients, but especially those suffering from the two big epidemics of modern times: obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Fung uses innovative solutions to these problems, realising that conventional treatments are not that effective in helping people.

How stress affects your eating habits & homones !

How Stress Affects Mental Health?