VIDEO – THIN PROOF? –
June 12, 2026 – Dr. Aaron Wilson with The Meadows said emerging research suggests the drugs may also help reduce cravings for alcohol and other substances.
“A lot of the preclinical research has shown that maybe alcohol and some other substances are unintendedly kind of coming down when somebody’s on these medications,” Wilson said. GLP-1 medications work on the brain’s reward center, known as the mesolimbic system. Wilson said that the pathway is tied to both food cravings and substance use.
“A lot of people talk about when they’re on GLPs, it cuts down on that food noise,” Wilson said. “I think what we’re also seeing is it cuts down on noise across the board for other substances, perhaps the alcohol, opiates, stimulants, maybe even nicotine.”
Studies on the connection between GLP-1 medications and reduced substance cravings are ongoing.
