Alcohol, Obesity, Pain, and Drug Disorders

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Orginally published Oct 2, 2022
Updated periodically 

12 step program for alcohol or drugs (aims to induce a spiritual awakening) (quite effective)

B3 helps alcoholism
68% of alcoholics have an excellent or good result from supplementing 3 to 6 grams of niacin a day (in 3 divided doses) (19% have a fair result, 13% have a poor result) helps you deal with general life anxieties and moodiness, it reduces cravings and withdrawal effects
Bill Wilson recommended this treatment (founder of AA)
May also reduce cigarette cravings
B complex multivitamin may also be helpful (low B12, folate, thiamine, also common)
(See drive other folder b3 alcohol)

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) helps cravings a lot (70+%) (unsure if its drug or food cravings)
(see drive other folder)

"One recent study on alcohol-use disorder, for example, found that two doses of psilocybin paired with talk therapy led to an 83 percent decline in heavy drinking among participants, and that nearly half of them had stopped drinking entirely by the end of the eight-month trial."

Clonidine (α2A-adrenergic and imidazoline-1(I1) agonist (commonly sold as a blood pressure medication)) taken orally seems to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms by ~95% (though 5 of 10 patients began re-using opioids by the 6 month mark)
"On the first day of clonidine administration, the patients were given 6 μg/kg as a test dose and then 6 μg/kg at bedtime. On the next day and then for nine days, patients were given 17 μg/kg of clonidine in divided doses of 7 μg/kg at 8 am, 3 μg/kg at 4 pm, and 7 μg/kg at 11 pm." "On days 11, 12, and 13, the clonidine dose was decreased by 50%. On day 14, the patients received no clonidine whatsoever. None of the patients showed any increase in opiate withdrawal signs or symptoms or had the emergence of clonidine withdrawal symptoms using this protocol. On day 14, all patients were given naloxone hydrochloride, 1.2 mg, intravenously to assess for residual opiates or
dependence. All naloxone tests were negative."
"All patients stated that they felt a need for an opioid and that they were "kicking" immediately before clonidine administration. At 120 minutes after clonidine administration, none of the ten patients stated that they felt the need for an opioid or like they were kicking."
(See drive other)
May increase chances of successfully withdrawal from nicotine from 14 to 21%
(See drive other)
Also helps alcohol withdrawal (need to find study still)
Hypotension and excessive sedation were monitored for in the first study (and medication was adjusted accordingly) patients were monitored throughout the day.
"The most frequent side effects for clonidine (which appear to be dose-related) are dry mouth, occurring in about 40 of 100 patients; drowsiness, about 33 in 100; dizziness, about 16 in 100; constipation and sedation, each about 10 in 100."

Nutritional deficiencies are often present in drug or alcohol use disorders
(See drive other)
Low vitamin D, and low cholesterol may lead to worse addictions
 

Patients were hospitalized in a locked ward to detox from cocaine
Cocaine effects dopamine receptors (methamphetamine also does this, therefore it may also help with methamphetamine withdrawal to have a higher cholesterol level. And nicotine withdrawal potentially also.)
 
 
(cravings in heroin addicts vs. cholesterol)
It may therefore help to eat more fatty foods (however sugar and trans fat (which raises super unhealthy cholesterol should probably be avoided (unless small particle LDL cholesterol is what helps))
Those deficient in vitamin D were 1.62x more likely to use opioids, (opioids also produced a greater high on vitamin D deficient mice (1.33x)).

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists (ozempic) may help with nicotine and alcohol and shopping cravings (also reduces coffee use) (increased libido also reported)
 
"A variation in the DRD2 gene results in a reduced number of dopamine receptors in the brain, which affects the sensitivity of the brain’s reward pathway and is strongly associated with addictive tendencies."
"A slow-functioning MAO-A gene leads to lower levels of the enzyme monoamine oxidase A, which can cause an accumulation of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Variations affect mood, which, combined with other influences, such as lack of social support, can hamper addiction outcomes."

29% who are prescribed opioids misuse them, 12% develop an addiction, 4 to 6% of people who misused opioids went on to use heroin.

Nicotine, methamphetamine, cocaine (??), are super highly addictive

Nicotine (vaping) addiction was overcome by 1.5x (long term (16 weeks)) (~20% quit vs. ~13.2% placebo) to 2.0x (short term (9 to 12 weeks)) (31.8% quit vs. 15.1% placebo) more people who took cytisinicline (3mg, 3 times a day) ("a partial agonist at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that mediate nicotine dependence"). No serious adverse reactions were reported in the study.
 
Bupropion (antidepressant) may help people successfully quit addictions (1.97x helping people to quit smoking)
https://doi.org/10.1080/09595230100100642
also might help methamphetamine withdrawal
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3554-6
Varenicline was 2.88x (might however be like taking nicotine though just through a different route?)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23728690 

People who are lonely are 3x more likely to abuse drugs (need to look-up sources)

Practicing gratitude may increase your ability to successfully quit cigarettes (large effect size?)

Agmatine (sulfate) may help prevent drug withdrawal from opioids (tested in various animals but not humans) (see drive)
may also help benzodiazepine withdrawal (tested in rats) (see drive)
could also help alcohol withdrawal (but don't consume with alcohol do to increase ulcer risk (in rats at least)
and methamphetamine withdrawal (tested in worms) (see drive)
May likely help with chronic pain (but not acute pain) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20447305/)
and other withdrawal substances (?)


Discontinuing opioids seems to improve chronic pain (I haven't read this thouroughly)
0.5 to 1.5 years of oral opioid use however demonstrated a 63.4% reduction in pain scores according to a meta-analysis (this reduction level may continue indefinitely??)
For acute neck and back pain opioids are not generally recommended
Acupuncture helps chronic pain 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3658605/ (need to research more) (sometimes used for pain relief in surgeries instead of sedation in china)
Anti-inflammatory pills (such as aspirin) lead to more pain long term (but provide temporary relief) (the so called perfect drug) (Although do note: for acute pain inflammation helps heal,  but for chronic pain NSAIDS may help)
"In this clinical trial, participants were randomized to receive either a placebo or 200 mg of the chastetree-ginger extract blend twice daily.
After 30 days, among those taking the plant extract combination:7
- 79% reported clinically meaningful improvement in lower back pain intensity versus 6% receiving placebo,
- 76.5% reported clinically meaningful improvement in functional activity versus 30% receiving placebo, and
- Subjects had a 40% improvement in bending flexibility versus 17% improvement in placebo subjects."
Two powerful natural antimflamatory herbs (plus other effects)
Low mitochondria function can be a cause of chronic pain: supplementing b3 may help.
Seeing a chiropractor after developing lower back pain reduced opioid use by 68% in the following year (physio, or osteopath likely similar)
Spending an hour outdoors, preferably barefoot, a day may help chronic pain. Pulsed eltromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy may also help (barefeet enhances this natural phenomenon of grounding (to earths magnetic frequency). (Have not looked up studies yet) (?)
DMSO may help pain
Acute back pain is healed by a comfrey cream or salve (95.2% reduction in pain vs. 37.8% placebo group)
(3x a day (8 hours apart) for 5 days. 3 grams comfrey was applied to 12cm long area where back pain was located. It was softly massaged in.)
 




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Obese individuals benefit from losing weight often (a 21.6kg (~45lbs) weight loss (276lbs starting weight) led to a 54% reduction in low back pain and a 34% reduction in knee pain, 30% reduction in hip pain, 40% reduction in ankle pain)
Those who had migraines (28%) went from 6 migraines a month on average to 1 (women only study)
9.2lbs of lost weight (4.4% of their initial weight (202lbs)) led to a 10% decrease in fibromyalgia pain, and a 13% decrease in all causes of pain, 16% reduction in anxiety, 17% reduction to standard disability index.  (women only study (overweight to obese, average age 54 years)) (20 week study)
Obesity (or being overweight) was the cause of ~20% of all cancers in the USA in 2009 (Obesity increases cancer risk ~1.49x)
A high body mass index is the #1 risk factor for death and disability in the USA
-A number of articles published over the last few decades have examined the relationship of obesity and chronic pain. Although older studies did not substantiate a link,9,10 recent and larger studies point toward a possible association between obesity and pain. One study showed that almost 40% of obese individuals suffered from chronic pain, with the prevalence increasing proportionally with BMI, and 90% of the study participants reported moderate to severe pain.11 Another large survey of more than 1 million individuals (n = 1,062,271) showed that overweight individuals had about 20% more pain compared with normal-weight people, obese individuals with BMIs of 30 to 34 kg/m2 had about 68% more pain, those with BMIs of 35 to 39 kg/m2 had 136% more pain, and those whose BMIs were more than 40 kg/m2 reported having 254% more pain.12 A study of more than 3000 twins showed that after adjusting for age, sex, and the presence of depression, overweight and obese twins were more likely to report chronic widespread pain, low-back pain, tension-type or migraine headaches, abdominal pain, and fibromyalgia than the control group of normal-weight twins.13
-A cohort study of 385 female Finnish kitchen workers, evaluated repeatedly at 3-month intervals over 2 years,75 documented an increased prevalence of widespread pain (OR, 2.8) (OR: Odds Ratio) associated with obesity. Conversely, not being obese was associated with a reduced prevalence of widespread pain (OR, 3.7), defined in this study as hurting at 3 or more of 7 sites. Obesity was extremely prevalent in patients with fibromyalgia in another cross-sectional study of 215 women, with about 80% of patients who had fibromyalgia being obese or overweight.36 Obesity in fibromyalgia was associated with greater pain sensitivity, worse sleep quality, and reduced physical capacities.36,76
-Eslick found a significant association of upper abdominal pain with increased BMI (OR, 2.65)85 but no significant associations for general abdominal pain or lower abdominal pain. Two small cross-sectional studies involving 91 women86 and 250 men87 showed an association between obesity and pelvic pain in both sexes. Dysmenorrhea, a common menstrual complaint seen in 16% to 91% of women of reproductive age that causes severe pain in 2% to 29%, was not associated with obesity.88
-A recent systematic analysis of musculoskeletal pain complaints in children 3 to 18 years of age reviewed 11 studies.95 Increased BMI had a significant (in most studies P < 0.001) impact on the children’s pain reporting, physical health, exercise, and HRQL. Bone deformity and dysfunction in association with chronic musculoskeletal pain and obesity were frequently reported findings. A longitudinal study evaluated 3376 adolescents for the association of obesity and pain.96 The mean age was 17.8 years, and 7% of study participants were obese. Obese adolescents were more likely to report musculoskeletal pain, especially knee pain and chronic regional pain, had higher pain scores, and potentially had worse prognoses. Investigators also have reported an overlay between increased BMI and headaches in children.97 The association between pain and obesity in elderly individuals is discussed in the literature primarily in the form of narrative review.98 One study showed that elderly obese individuals (≥70 years, n = 736) had both greater functional disability and an increase in the number of people reporting pain. Pain was a significant mediator of the adverse effects of obesity on physical function in older women but not in men. A study of 2629 individuals older than 65 years in Taiwan documented the impact of obesity and sarcopenia (change in muscle structure and performance associated with aging) on patients’ physical performance but not on pain.99 Of 407 New York residents 70 years or older, 52% had chronic pain, and central obesity was significantly associated with pain (OR, 2.03). After adjusting for inflammation measured with C-reactive protein, insulin resistance, and pain-interrelated comorbidities, central obesity predicted higher pain scores and almost doubled the risk of persistent pain (OR, 1.70). The authors could not explain the relationship between obesity and chronic pain by biomechanical factors, neuropathy, or markers of insulin resistance or inflammation alone.35
-Shoulder pain was associated with increased BMI, waist circumference
-Chronic rotator cuff tendinopathy was associated with weight 
-Obesity was a significant risk factor for the occurrence and severity of rotator cuff tears
-Visceral fat thickness was strongly associated with pain intensity in patients with wrist tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome or ulnar nerve entrapment, elbow epicondylitis, and shoulder or other upper-extremity pain.
-Concerning reports indicate that some patients (13%) suffer from worsened depression after bariatric surgery.211 Another worrisome finding was that despite positive weight-loss outcomes, 77% of patients who were chronic opioid users before bariatric surgery continued such use after surgery, and the amount of chronic opioid use was greater postoperatively than preoperatively. 212 A factor strongly associated with chronic opioid use postsurgery was presurgery opioid total days’ supply of nonnarcotic analgesics, antianxiety medications, and tobacco. Factors associated with a decreased likelihood of chronic opioid use after bariatric surgery included older age and a laparoscopic band procedure (OR, 0.42 vs laparoscopic bypass).213 (surgery is not a good option)
The sample was mostly female (62.8%), and the average age was 80 (range 70–101). The prevalence of chronic pain was 52% (39.7% in men; 58.9% in women). Subjects with chronic pain were more likely to report a diagnosis of depression (odds ratio (OR)=2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.40–4.55) and anxiety (OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.22–4.64). Obese subjects (BMI 30–34.9) were twice as likely (OR=2.1, 95%CI=1.33–3.28) and severely obese subjects (BMI≥35) were more than four times as likely (OR=4.5, 95% CI=1.85–12.63) as those of normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9) to have chronic pain. Obese subjects were significantly more likely to have chronic pain in the head, neck or shoulder, back, legs or feet, and abdomen or pelvis than subjects who were not obese. In multivariate models, obesity (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.27–3.26) and severe obesity (OR=4.1, 95% CI=1.57–10.82) were associated with chronic pain after adjusting for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, depression, anxiety, and education. (32% increase to pain for overweight individuals (odds ratio (OR) = 1.32))
Disturbed sleep is common in chronic pain. Estimated 53% of chronic pain patients attending pain clinics have clinically significant insomnia, significantly greater than 3% in sex-and age-matched healthy people.Citation Conversely, over 40% of insomniacs in the community complain of at least one chronic pain problem.Citation     (**lack of sleep can increase weight gain I believe (positive feedback))
Excersize, and gardening, can help people sleep
-A small study testing elderly OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) patients with high-vs low-capacity continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapyCitation found that those who received high-capacity CPAP had significantly increased pain tolerance to electrical stimulation, whereas there was no change in those receiving low-capacity CPAP.
(odds ratio effect size is found by multiplying the OR to the variable (1.55 = 1.55x increase (or 55%), 0.86 = 0.86 increase(/decrease) (or a -14% decrease)
41.9% of americans are obese including 17% of children (16.2% were overweight) and 35.7% of those aged 20 to 39 were obese (costing the USA economy 10% (of total output (GDP)) in lost wages and increased health spending (note: that the loss to the economy is several multiples of any "gain" to health spending (2.3X difference (2008 numbers)))
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States
Obesity is rapidly increasing in all countries (canada has 31% obesity, united kingdom 29%, france 23%, china 7%, india 4%, brazil 22%, united states 37% in this study)
Waist to hip ratio is generally considered more accurate than BMI (weight to height) (unless your BMI is over 35) (waist to height ratio is also sometimes used)
Counting calories using an app (3.5 minutes a day), the ketogenic diet, choosing healthier foods, the carnivore diet, vegetarianism (not as good), all seem to be good potential ways to lose weight. You should not try to lose more than 2lbs a week, in fact 1lb a week is probably best. Note that exercise does n o t cause weight loss, 90% diet, 10% activity levels. Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists are not ideal solutions (not recommended—be personally responsible (Update: using a GLP-1 agonist is likely the healthier option to remaining obese (though I still tend to prefer other options for losing weight) (adverse events are high compared to lifestyle modification)) bariatric surgery would also seem less than ideal (sometimes used in the morbidly obese (a gastric balloon is safer (and less effective) but is also not recommended (14% weight loss in 6 months w/ stomach balloon)(patients tended to regain weight after removal, bariatric surgery is also often temporary too (unsure))). *You will have to occasionally maintain a healthier diet to keep weight off.
Eating some cabbage before meals also may be an extremely effective way to lose weight
Changing the order in which you eat foods (eating protein and veggies first than carbs) may also enable weight loss.
High DDT (insecticide) exposure in mothers leads to obesity in 2 generations of daughters (not in overweight or obese grandmothers though) (2.6X increased risk of obesity, 2.1X risk of early menarche). (usa study) (only women study)
Another study had 2.1X increased obesity in boys but not girls (mexico study)
BPA 2.22X increased risk of obesity (age 6 to 19 (in study))
Phthalate exposure in the womb increases overweight/obesity in kids by 1.3x for each doubling of exposure (quartile 1 and 2 (bottom 50% of exposure) had 2.1x lower obesity than the highest exposed quartile 4)
Teenagers who had more PFOA's in their blood had a greater chance of being overweight/obese (quartile 1 1x, quartile 2 1.42x, quartile 3 2.22x, quartile 4 2.73x)
MSG leads to 3x as much weight gain (flavour enhancer often used in china)
Diet soda leads to more weight gain than regular soda
Those who consumed more magnesium had a 26% lower type 2 diabetes risk
Industrial seed oils increase weight gain (even more so if they are heated)
Food additives can cause obesity (often found in processed foods) "A study published in Nature investigated the effects of two common emulsifiers, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and polysorbate-80 (P80). Researchers added these emulsifiers to mice’s drinking water at a 1 percent concentration. These mice showed harmed gut microbiota, intestinal inflammation, and increased toxin translocation into the bloodstream. Furthermore, the emulsifiers also induced increased appetite and obesity. These effects persisted for at least six weeks after discontinuing the emulsifiers."
Saturated fat intake (such as lard and butter) lowers weight (saturated fat doesn't seem to effect heart health, sugar or high glycemic load foods do) (not excessive consumption though) (personally I try to avoid high saturated fat)
Full fat dairy consumption, and cheese, leads to weight loss (cream may be unhealthy though?) (not excessive consumption though)
Increased salt intake can increase the rate your body burns fat (effect size?) (more research needed) (warning: can increase blood viscosity and blood pressure)
(see drive other folder mercola obesity)
Fish oil supplementation (4 grams a day) (pills better than bottle) reduces cortisol levels by 25% (high cortisol, and high insulin may cause obesity (low carb /sugar diets reduce insulin))
Lonely people are more likely to be obese (?)
Being able to get enough sleep reduces risk of obesity 55% in adults, and 89% in children
Desire for food, and food storage efficiency are both effected by genes (some people can eat junk food and not gain weight) (effect sizes?) 
(The microbiome also effects obesity risk, read an article where a fecal transplant caused rapid weight gain) (could look into probiotics and potentially testing your microbiome (Viome does this (probably unnecessary test, still interesting though))
Mice that were germ-free (without a microbiome) nearly doubled calorie extraction from food after a microbiota transplant from an obese mouse versus a lean mouse (47% versus 27% fat gain) (no change in diet or exersize)
In a landmark study by Backhed et al. [32] mice without a microbiome had 42% less total body fat than their normal counterparts, even though they consumed 29% more food. (don't kill your microbiome (at least not for more than a few days))
"In a small human study, Ley et al. [35••] examined the microbial profiles of 12 obese individuals. They found that obese individuals had fewer Bacteroidetes and more Firmicutes compared with lean controls. They were then randomly assigned to either a fat-restricted (FAT-R) or carbohydrate-restricted (CARB-R) low-calorie diet. Their gut microbiota was monitored over the course of 1 year by sequencing 16S rRNA genes from serial stool samples. On either diet, the relative proportion of Bacteroidetes increased with a corresponding decrease in Firmicutes. This shift away from Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes correlated with percentage weight loss as opposed to changes in caloric intake over time. Alterations in gut microbiota were only seen after 6% loss of body weight on the FAT-R diet and 2% of the CARB-R diet. Similar to animal studies, the shifts were division wide and not due to blooms or extinctions of specific bacterial species. This study supports the potential for dietary modulation to manipulate gut microbiota in humans, which may consequently impact host metabolism."
"In a recent study, Kalliomaki et al. [36•] analyzed
stool samples collected from children at 6 and 12 months of age. The children were then followed until 7 years of age to determine whether early gut microbiota composition predicted weight development later in childhood. The children who were overweight or obese at age 7 (n = 25)
had fewer Bifi dobacteria (P = 0.02) and more Staphylococcus aureus (P = 0.013) at 6 and 12 months of age than children who were normal weight (n = 24). This implies that differences in the composition of gut microbiota may precede the development of obesity."
"Proposed mechanisms by which the microbiome may contribute to the development of obesity include 1) increasing dietary energy harvest, 2) promoting fat deposition, 3) triggering systemic inflammation, 4) perhaps modifying locomotor
activity, 5) and having central effects on satiety."
"Our understanding of prebiotic effects on obesity is limited as well. A single-blinded, crossover study by Cani et al. [48] found that a 2-week treatment with oligofructose in 10 healthy nonobese humans increased satiety after breakfast and dinner and reduced food consumption after dinner, leading to a total daily energy intake that was 5% lower than placebo. In a more recent study by Cani et al. [49•], mice fed a high-fat diet were treated with oligofructose. Prebiotic exposure restored normal levels of Bifi dobacterium spp and reduced the low-grade systemic inflammation thought to be associated with obesity and glucose intolerance. Although these early findings are promising, it is unlikely that any one treatment can alter the gut flora to “cure” obesity. However, there is 
clearly potential for probiotics and prebiotics to influence risk of obesity through reduction of energy harvest, toxins from certain bacteria, fat deposition, and promotion of satiety and energy expenditure." (More research needed)
(The microbiome is generally easy to change)
There were 3718 individuals with longitudinal BMI data available and of those 1662 individuals mainly females with a wide age range (20–74 years at baseline) had microbiome data at follow-up. Heritability analysis (809 monozygotic pairs and 1050 dizygotic pairs (study of identical or non-identical twins) found that longitudinal weight change has a heritability (h2) of 0.41 (95% confidence interval: 0.31, 0.47), meaning that 59% of the variance in its levels is not defined by a common genetic component. (9 year follow-up) (average age: 50 at baseline)
Obesity and starvation in parents (men and women) during conception and pregnancy can epigeneticcaly (which genes are turned on and off) effect a childs risk for obesity (epigenetics can be changed throughout life through lifestyle changes)
Sauna use during perimenopause and menopause may reduce weight gain in women (mercola)
A mindfulness practice to eating and stress can be more effective than a nutritional approach
A high estrogen load may contribute to obesity (?) (more so in women, need to research more):
Avoid synthetic estrogens — Minimize exposure to synthetic estrogens, such as those found in hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives. Consult with a qualified health care professional about alternative treatments and/or contraceptive methods with lower estrogen content.
Choose natural products — Opt for natural and organic personal care products, including makeup, skin care, and hair care items, to reduce exposure to synthetic chemicals like parabens and phthalates, which have estrogenic properties.
Limit pesticide exposure — Choose organic produce whenever possible to reduce exposure to pesticides, many of which have estrogenic effects. Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly can also help remove pesticide residues.
Rethink your household products — Many household cleaning products, laundry detergents and air fresheners contain chemicals with estrogenic properties. Swap them out for natural, nontoxic alternatives or make your own cleaning solutions using vinegar, baking soda and essential oils instead.
Avoid plastic containers — Minimize the use of plastic containers and food packaging, which can leach estrogenic compounds into food and beverages. Instead, opt for glass or stainless steel containers for food storage and water bottles.
Maintain a healthy weight — Aim for a healthy weight and body composition through a balanced diet and regular exercise. Excess body fat, particularly around the thighs, hips, and buttocks, can contribute to higher estrogen levels.
Support liver health — Support liver function, as the liver plays a crucial role in metabolizing and eliminating excess estrogen from the body. Eat a nutrient-rich diet, limit alcohol consumption, and consider incorporating liver-supporting herbs and supplements, such as milk thistle or dandelion root.
Promote hormonal balance — Explore natural approaches to promote hormonal balance, such as consuming foods rich in cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale) and flaxseeds, which contain compounds that help support estrogen metabolism and detoxification.
Reduce stress — Manage stress through relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga or spending time in nature. Chronic stress can disrupt hormone balance, including estrogen levels, so prioritizing stress reduction is essential.
Getting more sunlight helps (through vitamin D production), Low vitamin D in mothers can cause obesity in children (rat study), lack of vitamin D causes more insulin resistance (getting more sun may help) (dark skinned people in northern latitudes are often vitamin D deficient) (wearing sunscreen is generally not needed (unless your skin is at risk of peeling, but a tan is usually fine)) (Lack of sun could be a major cause of obesity, may account for 20% of all obesity in the USA (?))
A deep breathing practice increases the benefits from aerobic excersize alone by 50% (in terms of blood sugar levels, and cortisol levels) (type 2 diabetic women, average age 46)
Coffee drinking reduces cardiometabolic disease risk by 48% (defined as having two of the following: type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or stroke) (3 cups a day causes the maximum benefit of 48%)
Lower sugar intake during the first 3 years of life (including pregnancy) reduces diabetes risk by 35% and hypertension risk by 20% (later on in life)
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adn5421 (uk sugar rationing study)
If you are over the age of 60 having 10 to 20 extra pounds as an energy reserve leads to a slightly longer lifespan (1.10x increased lifespan) compared to those who are trim (or the overly thin) (an overweight but not obese BMI) (but tradeoffs)
**

Mercola recommends kratom or cannabis as potential replacements for opioids
(See drive other)

James Greenblatt recommends:
Nutritional lithium (may help alcoholism, other addictions)

Those raised with both biological parents are 10x less likely to make use of a chemical abuse centre

Thank you, alternativetomeds.com for helping with this entry.

Alcohol and opioids are large causes of DALY's worldwide. (Disability Adjusted Life Years)
#1 depression
#2 anxiety
(alcohol)
#3 schizophrenia
(opioid)
#4 bipolar
(Other addictions/mental disorders below bipolar) 
(Nicotine seems to have been omitted in this list and could be higher than alcohol)
(This list includes only mental or addiction causes of DALY's not any other health issues (depression is the #12 overall cause of DALY's worldwide as of 2019 (with a number of other conditions being higher on the list)
This data is from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and WHO Global Health Estimates (GHE) (2019 numbers used) (*These numbers are known to be highly inaccurate (according to Jonathon Haidt))

Opium addicts had lower cholesterol than non-addicts (thought to be caused by the opium use, opium extracts had no effect) (iranian study)
Fatemi SS, Hasanzadeh M, Arghami A, Sargolzaee MR. Lipid Profile Comparison between Opium Addicts and Non-Addicts. J Tehran Heart Cent. 2008;3(3):169-172.

Obesity cost the USA 10% of total GDP in 2008

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