What is a ‘dopamine detox’? And do I need one?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Advice about cutting down on dopamine is everywhere right now. From “dopamine fasting” to “anti-dopamine parenting” and even “raw-dogging” flights (going without any screens, books or music), TikTok influencers claim these practices have rewired their brains.
Modern life constantly bombards our brains with stimulation, through scrolling feeds, video games, email pings and sugary snacks. This keeps dopamine – the neurotransmitter linked to reward and motivation – in steady circulation.
Over time, this constant activation can leave us desensitised, chasing even more stimulation just to feel “normal”. Everyday life begins to seem bland by comparison.
So it’s no surprise people have tried to come up with ways to reset their dopamine and change their behaviour. But do these strategies actually work?
Can you actually detox from dopamine?
No, you can never actually “detox” from dopamine itself. A detox involves eliminating a chemical from your body. If you go through an alcohol detox, for example, you stop drinking and allow your body to rid itself of alcohol-related toxins.
In the context of dopamine, a detox is impossible. Dopamine is naturally occurring and plays a significant role in various aspects of human physiology. It’s involved in the pleasure and reward centre of the brain, as well as in motivation, movement, arousal and sleep.
If we were to completely detox from dopamine, we wouldn’t be able to function, let alone stay alive.
“Dopamine detoxes” have involved people intentionally avoiding behaviours or substances that trigger quick bursts of dopamine, such as gaming, social media, sugary foods or online shopping. These “pleasure detoxes” usually occur over a short, set period of time: around 24 hours.
A 24-hour dopamine detox might feel hard and like something significant is happening. People report uncomfortable urges, cravings and sometimes even feelings of fatigue, anxiety or irritability during the process. The discomfort can lead some to believe that they are successfully “resetting” their brains.
While a dopamine detox may feel intense, most people won’t experience any meaningful, lasting improvements by abstaining for a day or two. Dopamine regulation is a complex process influenced by many factors, and it doesn’t undergo a sudden reset in a short 24-hour period.
Research suggests that after the period of abstinence, old habits and urges often return, unless people actively build new routines and coping strategies that engage healthier reward pathways.
So what can you do instead?
If you want to change your relationship with dopamine-driven behaviours or substances, be prepared for this to take longer that 24 hours.
Substituting “fast dopamine” rewards with “slow dopamine” activities can gradually restore the brain’s sensitivity to pleasure and help life feel rich again.
This might involve returning to activities that naturally require more patience and effort, such as creative projects, exercising or learning something new.
But it can also include other pleasurable experiences, such as connecting with someone face-to-face, or listening to music you love.
These activities can activate dopamine pathways, as well as the release of other neurotransmitters, such as oxytocin and serotonin, which contribute to a positive mood.
The popularity of dopamine detoxes reflects a desire to feel better, regain motivation and reconnect with pleasures in a world overloaded by stimulation. But there’s no reset button for the brain’s dopamine system. Luckily, we can switch to longer-term rewards from movement, music, connection and stretching ourselves in other ways.
Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer and Research Supervisor, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Recommended
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Is fluoride really linked to lower IQ, as a recent study suggested? Here’s why you shouldn’t worry
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Fluoride is a common natural element found in water, soil, rocks and food. For the past several decades, fluoride has also been a cornerstone of dentistry and public health, owing to its ability to protect against tooth decay.
Water fluoridation is a population-based program where a precise, small amount of fluoride is added to public drinking water systems. Water fluoridation began in Australia in the 1950s. Today more than 90% of Australia’s population has access to fluoridated tap water.
But a recently published review found higher fluoride exposure is linked to lower intelligence quotient (IQ) in children. So how can we interpret the results?
Much of the data analysed in this review is poor quality. Overall, the findings don’t give us reason to be concerned about the fluoride levels in our water supplies.
TinnaPong/Shutterstock Not a new controversy
Tooth decay (also known as caries or cavities) can have negative effects on dental health, overall health and quality of life. Fluoride strengthens our teeth, making them more resistant to decay. There is scientific consensus water fluoridation is a safe, effective and equitable way to improve oral health.
Nonetheless, water fluoridation has historically been somewhat controversial.
A potential link between fluoride and IQ (and cognitive function more broadly) has been a contentious topic for more than a decade. This started with reports from studies in China and India.
But it’s important to note these studies were limited by poor methodology, and water in these countries had high levels of natural fluoride when the studies were conducted – many times higher than the levels recommended for water fluoridation programs. Also, the studies did not control for other contaminants in the water supply.
Recent reviews focusing on the level of fluoride used in water fluoridation have concluded fluoride is not linked to lower IQ.
Despite this, some have continued to raise concerns. The United States National Toxicology Program conducted a review of the potential link. However, this review did not pass the quality assessment by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine due to significant limitations in the conduct of the review.
The authors followed through with their study and published it as an independent publication in the journal JAMA Paediatrics last week. This is the study which has been generating media attention in recent days.
What the study did
This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis, where the researchers evaluated 74 studies from different parts of the world.
A total of 52 studies were rated as having a high risk of bias, and 64 were cross-sectional studies, which often can’t provide evidence of causal relationship.
Most of the studies were conducted in developing countries, such as China (45), India (12), Iran (4), Mexico (4) and Pakistan (2). Only a few studies were conducted in developed countries with established public water systems, where regular monitoring and treatment of drinking water ensures it’s free from contaminants.
The vast majority of studies were conducted in populations with high to very high levels of natural fluoride and without water fluoridation programs, where fluoride levels are controlled within recommended levels.
The study concluded there was an inverse association between fluoride levels and IQ in children. This means those children who had a higher intake of fluoride had lower IQ scores than their counterparts.
Water fluoridation programs reduce the occurrence of cavities. Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Limitations to consider
While this review combined many studies, there are several limitations that cast serious doubt over its conclusion. Scientists immediately raised concerns about the quality of the review, including in a linked editorial published in JAMA.
The low quality of the majority of included studies is a major concern, rendering the quality of the review equally low. Importantly, most studies were not relevant to the recommended levels of fluoride in water fluoridation programs.
Several included studies from countries with controlled public water systems (Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan) showed no negative effects. Other recent studies from comparable populations (such as Spain and Denmark) also have not shown any negative effect of fluoride on IQ, but they were not included in the meta-analysis.
For context, the review found there was no significant association with IQ when fluoride was measured at less than 1.5mg per litre in water. In Australia, the recommended levels of fluoride in public water supplies range from 0.6 to 1.1 mg/L.
Also, the primary outcome, IQ score, is difficult to collect. Most included studies varied widely on the methods used to collect IQ data and did not specify their focus on ensuring reliable and consistent IQ data. Though this is a challenge in most research on this topic, the significant variations between studies in this review raise further doubts about the combined results.
No cause for alarm
Although no Australian studies were included in the review, Australia has its own studies investigating a potential link between fluoride exposure in early childhood and child development.
I’ve been involved in population-based longitudinal studies investigating a link between fluoride and child behavioural development and executive functioning and between fluoride and IQ. The IQ data in the second study were collected by qualified, trained psychologists – and calibrated against a senior psychologist – to ensure quality and consistency. Both studies have provided strong evidence fluoride exposure in Australia does not negatively impact child development.
This new review is not a reason to be concerned about fluoride levels in Australia and other developed countries with water fluoridation programs. Fluoride remains important in maintaining the public’s dental health, particularly that of more vulnerable groups.
That said, high and uncontrolled levels of fluoride in water supplies in less developed countries warrant attention. There are programs underway in a range of countries to reduce natural fluoride to the recommended level.
Loc Do, Professor of Dental Public Health, The University of Queensland
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Share This Post
-
Eat Like A Girl – by Dr. Mindy Pelz
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
We previously reviewed Dr. Pelz’s “Fast Like A Girl”, but what about when we’re not fasting? So, this one covers what to indeed eat, with female health in mind first and foremost.
We say “first and foremost”, because most of the advice in this book is applicable to men too, and that which isn’t, is at worst irrelevant to men, and not actually problematic. Contrary to popular belief, eating foods that are “good for estrogen” will not increase men’s estrogen levels in the slightest; in fact, what’s good nutritionally for estrogen is usually good for testosterone too, as they are made of the same fundamental stuff and there’s just one molecular difference between them. Which gets made (if either) just depends on what you have going on anatomically and physiologically before you ate what you did.
But let’s face it, most health books out there that don’t specify female focus, are usually based on assuming maleness as a default condition, and women’s health is the same plus breasts and different genitals, which is simply not the case. So, it’s refreshing to have books like this one.
The advice Dr. Pelz gives here is varied and yet consistent; that is to say, she approaches health from numerous angles:
- She talks about integrating what to eat around fasting, how best to break the fast etc
- She talks about why blood sugars matter but calories don’t
- She talks about what to eat for natural hormone support (for hormone production and hormone metabolism; the latter is often forgotten, but not by Dr. Pelz!)
- She talks about how to handle things nutritionally if you have no cycle (or if you do, but it’s a HRT-mediated cycle and you’re not bleeding)
- She talks about what to do for gut health in the context of both eating and fasting
As the subtitle promises, there are indeed recipes, which take up the latter half of the book. They’re respectable and yet not too complicated; ingredients are the kind that can be found in any large supermarket, though if you live in a rural area you might struggle with some. The recipes are mostly not vegan and many are not even vegetarian, but they are still quite low on meat by default and avoid unfermented dairy, and substitutions are mostly easy and obvious if you are vegan or vegetarian.
Bottom line: if you’d like a dietary approach that’s optimized for female health around intermittent fasting, then this is it.
Click here to check out Eat Like A Girl, and eat like a girl (a healthy one, at that)!
Share This Post
-
5 Tools To Reduce Stress
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Dr. Ruth Machin advises:
Five things to do
Starting with the innermost part, and progressing to the outermost part:
- Journaling: writing regularly—whether full sentences or just a few words—can help express emotions, clear your head, and improve happiness and memory. Use prompts like “What went well today?” and try to journal at the same time each day, especially in the evening to sleep more restfully.
- Slow breathing: activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode) through slow breathing can help calm your stress response. Just a few minutes a day can make a difference.
- Gentle movement: light, intentional movement like walking in nature, stretching, yoga, or even pottering around the garden helps bring you back into your body and reduces stress without needing to be a workout.
- Digital switch-off cues: instead of abrupt screen cut-offs, create a routine cue to signal the end of screen time—like putting your phone in a drawer—to help your brain wind down.
- Social connection: prioritize meaningful (and ideally, in-person) interactions with people who “get” you. Strong social ties improve well-being and even extend life expectancy, while poor connection increases heart disease risk. Schedule it like any important commitment.
For more on all of these, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Take care!
Share This Post
Related Posts
-
Vagus Nerve Reset To Release Stress/Trauma Stored In The Body
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Trauma is often more about how your nervous system processed the experience than the event itself (for this reason, sometimes the same kind of event can affect different people very differently). The resultant rewiring can then perpetuate or even strengthen itself over time, the effects of which are often not fabulous.
However, it is possible to do a sort of neurological reset, which won’t completely overwrite what was there before, but will soften it and allow cumulative progress the more the practice is undertaken:
What happens in vagus…
…doesn’t have to stay there. The vagus nerve, as regular 10almonds readers may remember, is one of the main links between your brain and gut, and, being the “wandering” nerve (“vagus” literally means “wandering”), it’s accessible at quite a few places, in quite a few ways. This means that while a lot of information is travelling up the vagus nerve into the brain, it’s possible to modify its signal slightly and engage the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a neurological “letting go” response.
Here’s a good one:
- Check your neck mobility before you start (notice how stiff or supple it is).
- Lie on your back (knees bent or legs straight, per your comfort and preference).
- Interlace your fingers and cradle the back of your head.
- Keep your head centered and move your eyes to the right for about 30 seconds (if you are in a room with a ticking clock, this is idea, to save you needing a visual cue).
- Return your eyes to rest at the center, then repeat on the left side.
- Notice any signs like sighs, deeper breaths, yawns, or swallowing—these indicate vagus nerve activation.
- Afterward, check neck mobility again to notice any changes.
- If no nervous system response occurs in 30 seconds, hold the eye position longer (60+ seconds).
For more on all of this plus a visual demonstration, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
The Vagus Nerve (And How You Can Make Use Of It)
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Demystifying C-Reactive Protein (CRP)!
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Most people over a certain age who are at least somewhat invested in their health know that c-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood biomarker that’s considered an indicator of cardiovascular health (or: illness, as the case may be), but often know little more than that.
So, what is it and what does it mean?
Oh, CRP
CRP is produced by the liver in response to immune activation from infections, tissue damage, autoimmune disease, obesity, and diabetes.
As for what its actual job is (because the body does produce it for reasons other than for its usefulness as a biomarker in blood tests),
❝Similar to immunoglobulin (Ig)G, it activates complement, binds to Fc receptors and acts as an opsonin for various pathogens. Interaction of CRP with Fc receptors leads to the generation of proinflammatory cytokines that enhance the inflammatory response. Unlike IgG, which specifically recognizes distinct antigenic epitopes, CRP recognizes altered self and foreign molecules based on pattern recognition. Thus, CRP is though to act as a surveillance molecule for altered self and certain pathogens. This recognition provides early defense and leads to a proinflammatory signal and activation of the humoural, adaptive immune system.❞
Source: Function of C-reactive protein
Translating that from sciencese: CRP acts like a first-responder version of an antibody. Like IgG antibodies, it can activate the complement* system, latch onto immune cell receptors, and tag microbes so they are easier for immune cells to destroy. When CRP binds to these receptors, it also triggers the release of inflammatory signals that dial up the immune response.
The key difference is how it recognizes threats: antibodies such as IgG are very specific—they are custom-made to recognize one precise target and nothing else. CRP, in contrast, looks for broad patterns that signal damage or danger, whether from invading microbes or the body’s own altered cells. Thus, CRP acts as an immune surveillance sensor, providing early warning and kick-starting inflammation and the wider adaptive immune response. Which, in the case of an actual infection or similar, is a good thing.
*You may be wondering what, in turn, the complement system is and what activating it means. In simple terms, it starts off as a bunch of proteins circulating in your blood in an inactive form. When CRP (or an antibody) binds to a microbe or a damaged cell, it can activate this cascade, which then joints the fight and also does the latching on and tagging that we mentioned, by:
- directly damaging microbes: in some cases, complement proteins punch holes in bacterial membranes, leading to their death.
- tagging the target for destruction: complement proteins typically coat the surface of the microbe or damaged cell, making it easier for immune cells to recognize and engulf it.
- dialling up inflammation: small complement fragments act like chemical alarms, attracting immune cells and increasing local inflammation.
Again, if there’s actually a genuine threat to respond to, these are all good things for it to be doing.
CRP as a biomarker
CRP is a very useful biomarker of low-grade inflammation, and evidence from decades of research shows it predicts heart attacks and strokes better than LDL cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), and at least as well as blood pressure: Inflammation, Cholesterol, Lipoprotein(a), and 30-Year Cardiovascular Outcomes in Women
Same goes for when we look at mortality: C-reactive protein concentration and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and mortality: an individual participant meta-analysis
For this reason, the American College of Cardiology recommended universal CRP screening alongside cholesterol testing to improve cardiovascular risk assessment. You can read that in full, here:
You may be wondering about numbers: CRP under 1 mg/dL indicates low inflammation and lower risk, while CRP above 3 mg/dL signals higher inflammation and higher risk.
How likely is it that you are at risk? Well, about 52% of Americans have elevated CRP, so that’s not a promising figure to start with. Now, 10almonds readers are doubtlessly healthier than the average American as a general demographic, but still, it’s worth bearing in mind and not assuming that it could only apply to other people.
And as for how to improve your numbers? Same deal as most heart health advice that we give here: enjoy a plants-forward (if not entirely plant-based) diet, especially making sure to get a lot of fiber and as many different sources of polyphenols as is reasonable. Get good sleep, do exercise often, and don’t smoke or drink.
About the dietary aspects specifically, see:
- What Matters Most For Your Heart?
- What Do The Different Kinds Of Fiber Do? 30 Foods That Rank Highest
- 21 Most Beneficial Polyphenols & What Foods Have Them
Want to learn more?
If you’d like a comprehensive guide to reducing your heart disease risk, no matter your starting point, then you might like to consider:
Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program For Reversing Heart Disease – by Dr. Dean Ornish
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Asbestos has been found in children’s coloured sand. What’s the risk to kids?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Multiple schools and early learning centres in the Australian Capital Territory have shut on Friday after asbestos was found in coloured sand used for children’s art and sensory play. At least one school in Brisbane has also closed due to potential exposure.
On Thursday, WorkSafe ACT issued a contamination notice after laboratory testing confirmed traces of chrysotile, a type of asbestos, in Kadink Decorative Sand.
It follows a recall notice by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for Educational Colours Rainbow Sand (1.3kg), Creatistics Coloured Sand (1kg) and Kadink Sand (1.3kg) in various colours. This was because of a different type of asbestos, tremolite.
The sand subject to the recall was manufactured in China and sold by several Australian retailers, including Officeworks and Woolworths.
Examples of the recalled sand products. Australian Competition and Consumer Competition. Parents will understandably be feeling worried about kids’ potential exposure to asbestos, which has been banned in Australia since 2003. But the risks in this case are low. Here’s what you need to know – and how to get rid of contaminated sand safely.
Natalia Alkema/Getty What was found in the sand?
There are six different types of asbestos. All are dangerous.
Information about which kind was found in these sand products differs according to the agency issuing the alert:
- the ACCC recall says the products “may contain tremolite asbestos”
- WorkSafe Qld says they “contain a low level of tremolite and/or chrysotile asbestos”
- WorkSafe ACT says its testing (of Kandink Sand) found it “contains chrysotile”.
Fortunately, the most dangerous type – crocidolite asbestos or “blue” asbestos – has not been reported as a contaminant.
According to the ACCC, the recalled products have been sold throughout Australia between 2020 and 2025. But if regular testing has occurred it’s likely the contamination is more recent, and could be limited to a single batch. However we do not have the information at this stage.
How could it end up in sand?
The children’s play sand was manufactured overseas, and we don’t know how it was contaminated. But there are several possibilities.
If the sand was taken from a beach then it is unlikely to be contaminated with asbestos. But if the sand was manufactured by crushing rocks, then potentially asbestos – which is a naturally occurring mineral – could have been in the source product.
Asbestos is still used as a heat-shielding material or as a building product in many places in the world. So it’s also possible the processes used to dye the sand could also be another potential source of contamination.
What are the health risks? Are kids more vulnerable?
Asbestos is most dangerous when it becomes airborne and can be inhaled, for example during demolitions and renovations of older homes, where it was a common building material.
Inhaling any form of asbestos (fibres, dust, microparticles) can cause mesothelioma – a cancer that affects organ tissue, particularly the lungs – as well as lung cancer and asbestosis, a chronic lung disease that causes shortness of breath.
There is no safe level of exposure. However the risks increase with the amount you’re exposed to.
This means a small amount can be dangerous. But those who encounter asbestos once or twice in small amounts have a far lower risk of developing health complications, compared to people continually exposed to large quantities, as we’ve seen in the construction and mining industries.
We don’t have much research about the impact in children. But we know the younger someone is when exposed, the greater the risk is they will develop cancer or asbestosis. This is because the health effects can take decades to develop. So younger people have a higher chance of living long enough to see them emerge.
So, what is the risk?
WorkSafe ACT hasn’t released the levels it found through lab testing. But a statement on its website says: “The risk of exposure to traces of chrysotile is low.” This suggests very low levels were found.
The potential of exposure should be taken very seriously, as asbestos can be deadly. But it is not a cause for panic; the risk in this case is low.
Remember, it is likely everyone has been exposed to asbestos at some point, but most of us report no health complications as a result.
How should I dispose of the sand safely?
Detailed instructions are available at WorkSafe ACT.
You should wear:
- disposable gloves, tucked into cuffs, and any gaps sealed with tape
- a P2-rated face mask (not a standard dust mask)
- protective eyewear.
When disposing of the sand:
- do everything you can to prevent dust or fibres becoming airborne
- carefully double-wrap the sand, its container, and related materials in heavy duty (200-micron) plastic bags
- seal with tape and clearly label the package as asbestos waste.
Information about asbestos disposal in your state or territory is available at the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency website.
If you are worried about your exposure or your child’s, contact your GP.
Brian Oliver, Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
