Does Dopamine Drive Food Addiction? - Dr. Nadir Ali -

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In this video, Dr. Nadir Ali, an interventional cardiologist, delves into the intricacies of dopamine's role in human behavior, particularly in relation to diet and lifestyle. He shares personal anecdotes and professional insights into the challenges of implementing healthy habits, focusing on the science of dopamine and its impact on pleasure and addiction. Through experiments with rats and historical research, Dr. Ali explores the concept of reward, the addictive nature of dopamine, and the distinction between desire and pleasure. He also discusses strategies for managing dopamine-driven behavior to lead a healthier and more purposeful life.
0:00 Introduction to Dr. Nadir Ali
0:18 Dr. Ali's personal and professional insights on low-carb lifestyle and patient challenges
1:07 Exploring the dopamine system through historical rat experiments
3:20 Human experiments on dopamine and pleasure by Dr. Robert Heath
5:00 The complexity of dopamine's role in pleasure and addiction
6:14 Debunking the myth of dopamine as solely a pleasure neurotransmitter
8:05 The evolutionary purpose of dopamine in survival and desire
9:56 Contemporary challenges with dopamine overstimulation in modern society
11:00 The concept of variable rewards and neuromarketing
13:15 How to become a 'dopamine detective' in your own life
15:03 Understanding dopamine's dark side and its impact on stress and behavior
17:10 Decoupling of wanting and liking in addiction
19:00 Case study of a man's life-changing experience post-drug overdose
20:00 The role of the prefrontal cortex in controlling dopamine-driven behaviors
22:10 Strategies for enhancing prefrontal cortex function and managing dopamine
25:33 The importance of meditation, exercise, and sleep in maintaining healthy dopamine levels
29:41 Conclusion and audience appreciation

[@petercyr3508]

My wife and I have been patients of Dr Ali since 2018. Wonderful man. We are very fortunate.

[@jacquietarr7280]

Indeed !

[@rayfih]

Love love love Dr Ali. Outstanding presentation. Simple and highly effective strategies to follow. Simple is not easy though so we need to do the work and find our tribe to help support us! Thank you Dave for sharing x

[@LowCarbLowDrama]

Wow. Thank you so much, Dave. Love Dr Nadir Ali and his presentations. You guys are true champions of health.

[@anomarnamloh7444]

I luv Dr Ali😊 Thank you for uploading and sharing

[@00ddub]

I’ve suffered from sleep apnea for most of my life and this talk explains so much about my struggles in life. Thank you 🙏

[@rwil6969]

Amazing presentation as usual, thank you Dr Ali. I have ADHD, and as such the current understanding of ADHD as issues as having a brain with Dopamine receptor deficiency. this presentation really resonates with me. Being aware of my cravings and compulsions likely being a result of a Dopamine deficiency, is starting to help with a lot of issues that come with lack of compulsion control. I have recently revisited ADHD medication which is a huge help but the downsides of more Dopamine via stimulants is challenging. Simply being aware of this is empowering.

[@WillN2Go1]

I have ADHD and have taken methylphenidate meds for almost 25 years, with a 3 year break. And they increase dopamine levels. While they help a lot,I don't think dopamine by itself is the primary consideration for food cravings. I've a long history. What I've noticed both taking these medications and keeping a keto diet is that eating whole milk cheese first thing in the morning and keeping my calories at least 50% fats quells my nervous snacking (which has been a terrible habit my entire life. I'm in my 60s). While on the meds I've been both a desperate nervous snacker, and in control of my eating. Keeping high fats and low carbs, when I restrict my calories(as I've been doing (again) for a few months now, ) I feel more hunger than I did eating a 'regular' diet, but I don't mind it. In the evening, I get off the treadmill thinking, "I'm hungry...the food I eat in the morning will sure be good." then I get on with the rest of my evening and go to bed. If I start eating excess carbs, I won't be able to resist eating more. By evening when all this is going on, the methylphenidates have already left my system. Sometimes I forget to take my midday dose -- doesn't seem to have much effect on my eating will power. I think it's the fat percentage of my diet that matters more. For the past couple of months I've wanted to lose the ten pounds I put on during COVID so I've been eating about 1600 calories/day and doing 75 minutes on the treadmill. I'm down 13 lbs. I usually eat from about 6 am to 2 pm. I exercise, treadmill 6 miles, from about 5:30 - 6:45pm. I won't eat anything until the next morning. So I think while dopamine may be a factor, and the ADHD drugs significantly helps focus and discipline, it's the higher fat diet that quells my cravings for carbs. Over the time I've been on ADHD meds my carb cravings and nervous snacking seemed little affected by the meds. I lost about 50 excess pounds almost 20 years ago and kept almost all of it off until COVID. My understanding is that when I lost that weight, in about six months, it was because my body was in ketosis from hard exercise. I'd always 'hit the wall' 90 minutes in stagger back, but then feel so good I just didn't feel like eating until much later. The dopamine meds probably help, it seems clear that the higher fat calories was the more important factor. There is of course two ways to look at the obesity pandemic. It is impossible to keep to strict diets, exercise, lose weight and keep it off. We have at least 50 million people who are proof of that (and I've been one of them.) On the other hand there are millions of people who have lost significant excess weight and kept it off for decades. They should be the focus of studies. (I wonder what would happen if several overweight people had to eat only what I ate, exercise when I did. I think, if they didn't kill me, they'd lose weight and learn a healthier lifestyle, and if their bodies did what mine has done, cravings and hunger will stop running their lives.)

[@hikerJohn]

Exercise works. it's a substitute source of dopamine and it takes up a lot of time that might otherwise be spent eating. NOT strenuous exercise. All I have to do it get out of the house and do something and I will lose weight. When I'm home and idle I'm hungry all the time even when I'm full but I can go hiking for weeks and never get hungry, I just eat enough to keep moving which is much less than I'm burning.

[@CvoreAthlete]

I had same experience biking. Never hungry biking 7 centuries in 7 days. But sitting at home I'm bored and eat

[@CashMoneyMoore]

Thanks for uploading these Dave - wonderful presentations so far

[@luciavasile2895]

Dr. Nadir Ali, you are the best of the best cardiologist in the world🤙🏻👍🫶💪🧠🫀🫁🦷🦴👀

[@ruthhaney2946]

Fantastic presentation. So glad I found this channel

[@dbcspineclinicgymbangkok1563]

excellent , insightfull, entertaining . THANK YOU !!!

[@fainarozumov8992]

Thanks for sharing this presentation.

[@ElizabethMillerTX]

Do people from north of the Red River get to covet tres leches cake in real life? Or just in theory?

[@gtron7692]

Poor rat.

[@Kyarrix]

That was my takeaway also. Why the hell do we think we have the right to torture animals to further science. I am carnivore, I eat meat. But I don't torture animals. I eat meat from pasture raised animals who have as much of a normal life as they can have. I would not torture any living creature for science. I don't know how people do that and sleep at night. I understand there is value in this talk but I'm having difficulty getting past him talking about torturing rats calmly as though this were a normal thing to do.

[@gtron7692]

@@Kyarrix Exactly 👍

[@TestEverything1]

Poor humans too

[@Kyarrix]

@@TestEverything1 why poor humans? We make our own choices. We have the option to decide to not eat things that are poison. The rats don't have that option, they are being experimented on and tortured. Why would you say poor humans also? I am carnivore, I eat meat but I don't torture animals.

[@billrobinson198]

There is no such thing as food addiction. If you are addicted to it, it is not food. Carbohydrate addiction, on the other hand can be a thing.

[@joerandom157]

First part: yes. Second part: No. The addiction part comes from Seed oils hijacking the cannabinoid receptors (like THC does!) to create addiction and the munchies (just like weed!)

[@LowCarbLowDrama]

IMO, food addiction should be rephrased as UPF addiction, although I don't believe UPF is food. At best, it's fake food.

[@9929kingfish]

carbohydrates are foods

[@LowCarbLowDrama]

@@9929kingfish yes, sawdust and grass are food

[@LowCarbLowDrama]

@@9929kingfish kzbin.info8W7qJDHT3-s?si=sz9hsQecMmOz2Ohc