The Role of Dopamine in Weight Loss and Cravings

Published: 2025-03-25

Updated: 2025-03-26

4 mins

You may recognize dopamine as one of the "pleasure centers" of the brain. However, too much of a good thing is not always beneficial. Dopamine can also be part of the reason you may feel like you desperately need a greasy burger or your favorite sweet treat.

Neurotransmitters like dopamine send chemical signals to the brain that affect the body. Dopamine plays a major role in letting the body know when it needs nourishment. This includes how often your brain wants food, even if your body may feel full. However, there are ways to balance the benefits and drawbacks of dopamine.

What is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for the reward system, movement, and pleasure. Other neurological processes in which dopamine plays a part include:

• Sleep

• Memory

• Learning

• Dreaming

• Mood

Dopamine plays a part in these processes by sending messages to nerve cells in the body. It's a neurotransmitter that also acts as a hormone in the blood. Dopamine also warns your body of potentially harmful or stressful situations.

What Role Does Dopamine Play in Weight Loss?

Preexisting health conditions, hormonal imbalances, and potentially neurotransmitter imbalances may make weight loss more difficult. Not having enough dopamine can make it easier to give in to food cravings. While food cravings may not always necessarily be unhealthy, low dopamine can still contribute to overeating. 

Binge eating is a symptom of multiple mental health conditions like bulimia and personality disorders. Many treatment options to manage these conditions include ingredients that help to regulate dopamine. Still, more research is needed to verify how much of a role dopamine plays in weight loss.

How Does Dopamine Affect Food Cravings?

Those living with bulimia may experience periods of overeating and more intense food cravings for a short period of time. Still, most people experience food cravings at one point or another. Food cravings can strike at any time, even right after you eat.

Sometimes emotional circumstances or sudden changes in life can make food an emotional experience. Most food cravings are easy to consume foods because of the satisfying taste, texture, or nostalgia connected to the food.

The reward system controlled by dopamine in the brain tends to activate when we eat pleasing foods. Dopamine can lower stress levels and stimulate other appetite hormones like insulin, cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin when you eat foods you’ve been craving.

Tips for Managing Food Cravings

Ingredients in ultra-processed foods target pleasure centers in the brain. Consider avoiding consuming too many ultra-processed foods. Processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat are more likely to trigger reward pathways in the brain. Commonly consumed processed foods are potato chips, cookies, donuts, and other treats.

Other tactics you can try to control your cravings include the following: 

• Don’t skip meals throughout the day.

• Keep fresh fruits, nuts, and other healthy snacks around.

• Try to limit your exposure to cravings on social media when possible.

• Practice other habits like walking, doing breathing exercises, yoga, or reading when you have cravingsWhile avoiding cravings can help you meet your weight loss goals, don’t beat yourself up if you give in now and then. Changing habits is a gradual process that doesn’t happen overnight. Dopamine is one of a few neurotransmitters that help us to stay motivated when working towards goals. Give yourself grace to get it right while on your weight loss journey.

What are the Signs of Low Dopamine Levels?

A healthcare provider can measure dopamine levels with a urine test. Urine tests and some blood tests measure dopamine by counting catecholamines. Normal dopamine levels in a urine test range from 65 to 400 micrograms (mcg).

Low dopamine levels are commonly associated with health conditions like depression and Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms you may experience as a result of dopamine deficiency include:

• Mood swings

• Fatigue

• Sleep disorders

• Weight fluctuations

• Constipation

• Trouble focusing

Many other factors can also contribute to these symptoms. Be sure to check with a licensed healthcare provider before treating low dopamine levels. Symptoms similar to these may require a different form of treatment or a referral to a specialist.

How to Increase Dopamine Levels

Dopamine plays a major role in motivation at all stages of the weight loss journey. Increasing your dopamine levels can play a key part in multiple parts of the weight loss process. For example, higher levels of dopamine can help with sticking to a workout regimen, following a well-balanced diet, and incorporating healthy habits.

A healthcare provider may recommend medication to manage symptoms of low dopamine. Tyrosine is an amino acid responsible for the production of dopamine in many healthy foods.

You can consume dopamine in the following foods:

• Fish

• Dairy

• Pork

• Soybeans

• Whole grains

• Cheese

• Fava beans

You can also increase dopamine levels with vitamin D supplements. Still, be sure to let your healthcare provider know before starting supplements. A healthcare provider can warn you about adverse effects and interactions with other medications.

Other Ways to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals

While neurotransmitters can play a role in weight loss, you’re in control of many other healthy habits that can help you reach your weight loss goals. You can work with others to hold each other accountable for reaching your goals. Your primary healthcare provider or a nutritionist can also give you tips on how to get started.

Consider adopting the following habits to reach your weight loss goals:

• Follow a well-balanced diet.

• Add 150 minutes of physical activity to your routine.

• Take breaks to walk around more.

• Make time to work out with friends.

• Come up with a healthy meal plan.

• Buy more nutritious snacks. 

Where Can I Learn More About Weight Loss?

The Rex MD Weight Management Program can be one of the first steps you take toward feeling your best. Through the program, you may be able to receive access to groundbreaking GLP-1 medications and metabolic testing, if clinically appropriate.

See if you qualify to get closer to achieving your weight loss goals today.