Sleep Disorder Drug Could Help Food Addicts To Lose Weight

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Dec, 2016 ) : A drug used for sleep disorder could also reduce the impulse for food, thereby helping food addicts to lose weight, a new study said.

The researchers discovered that a drug called Modafinil, usually used for narcolepsy, shift work disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness, can reduce impulsivity and thus food addiction. "We found Modafinil, which is already on the market, did reduce people's impulsive behaviour," said Ivo Vlaev, Professor at University of Warwick in Britain, Medical Xpress reported.

Impulsive behaviour is an important factor that could lead to food addiction.

Food addicts suffer from the same neurobiological conditions so we believe it will help food addicts as well and our initial tests have backed up that theory," Vlaev noted.

Food addicts have also been found to have a deficiency in a certain type of dopamine so that their sense of reward and pleasure is diminished, thus they have to eat more to reach the same level of pleasure as anybody else.

"Modafinil was found to have an effect on impulsivity in healthy individuals and so would be able to have an even bigger effect on food addicts, who are lacking in certain types of dopamine," Vlaev said.