198. Dynorphins: This Brain Chemical Is Why You’re Addicted to Junk Food

The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka

Gary Brecka

Health & Fitness

4.8 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The same brain circuits involved in drug and alcohol addiction are hijacked by ultra-processed foods, and dynorphins are the key players. These peptides attach to kappa opioid receptors, initially reducing dopamine and creating dysphoria that drives you to seek more food rewards. Scientific research shows that blocking these receptors reduces binge eating in animal studies, offering hope for new therapeutic approaches to food addiction. Join the Ultimate Human VIP community for Gary Brecka's proven wellness protocols! https://bit.ly/4ai0Xwg Thank you to our partners H2TABS: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4hMNdgg BODYHEALTH: “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV BAJA GOLD: "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa EIGHT SLEEP: SAVE $350 ON THE POD 4 ULTRA WITH CODE “GARY”: https://bit.ly/3WkLd6E COLD LIFE: THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: https://bit.ly/4eULUKp WHOOP: JOIN AND GET 1 FREE MONTH!: https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW MASA CHIPS: 20% OFF FIRST ORDER: https://bit.ly/40LVY4y VANDY: “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: https://bit.ly/49Qr7WE AION: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4h6KHAD A-GAME: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: http://bit.ly/4kek1ij CARAWAY: “ULTIMATE” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3Q1VmkC HEALF: 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: https://bit.ly/41HJg6S BIOPTIMIZERS: “ULTIMATE” FOR 15% OFF: https://bit.ly/4inFfd7 RHO NUTRITION: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: https://bit.ly/44fFza0 GOPUFF: GET YOUR FAVORITE SNACK!: https://bit.ly/4obIFDC GENETIC TEST: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Yg1Uk9 Watch the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8 Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3RQftU0 Connect with Gary Brecka Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs TikTok: https://bit.ly/4coJ8fo X: https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf Facebook: https://bit.ly/464VA1H LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2 Website: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU Merch: https://bit.ly/4aBpOM1 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/47ejrws Ask Gary: https://bit.ly/3PEAJuG Timestamps 00:00 Intro of Show 01:01 Role of Dynorphins on Our Health 05:30 Cause of Binge Eating/ Food Addiction 08:00 Impulsivity as a Personality Trait 10:30 Brain Chemistry and Dysphoria 13:00 How to Reduce Impulsive Eating 15:30 Join the Ultimate Human VIP The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The Content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	We all know that our favorite fast foods or processed snacks are bad for us, but for some reason we keep going back to them.
0:06.9	It turns out there might be a small, silent chemical reason for that.
0:10.5	It's a special group of chemicals called dinorphins.
0:13.3	We're going to explore these brain chemicals and see how they influence our eating habits, especially when it comes to tempting junk food and those addictive,
0:21.6	ultra-process snacks. Dinofins are powerful players in regulating when or how much we eat,
0:26.6	and how our bodies manage that energy. Some new research found that injecting specific
0:31.6	dinerfin into the brain of mammals caused them to eat more. But it didn't mess with anything else.
0:41.1	Dinophan's job is even more complicated than normal eating. It turns out they play a much bigger role in impulsive eating than you might think.
0:45.9	So exactly what do dinorphins do? We all know that our favorite fast foods or processed snacks are bad for us, but for some reason, we keep going back to them.
1:07.9	It turns out there might be a small, silent chemical reason for that.
1:12.1	These peptides are found in our daily diet and play a huge role in why we keep eating junk food.
1:17.4	I'm Gary Brecker and you're listening to the Ultimate Human Podcasts where we dig into the real
1:21.5	science of human performance, longevity, and disease prevention. Today, we're going over something
1:26.7	quite fascinating. It's a special group of chemicals called dinorphins. Today, we're going over something quite fascinating. It's a special
1:28.8	group of chemicals called dinorphins. Now, if you're wondering what dinorphins are, don't worry.
1:34.3	We're going to explore these brain chemicals and see how they influence our eating habits,
1:38.6	especially when it comes to tempting junk food and those addictive, ultra-processed snacks.
1:44.0	Spoiler alert. It turns out they play a much
1:46.8	bigger role in impulsive eating than you might think. So what exactly do dinorphins do? They latch
1:52.7	onto what are called capo opioid receptors, or cores for short. These receptors are sprinkled
1:58.9	all over the brain, including areas that are very involved
2:02.0	in reward and feeding. These areas are control centers for when and why we eat. Dinorphins aren't
	...

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