Do you know what fasting dopamine is? Say goodbye to sex, social networks and alcohol

We have been faced with this new trend. Is named dopamine fast (and after the news of the candle with smell of vagina of Gwyneth Paltrow) has been one of the discoveries of the week. As we go, we don't know what we'll find out on Friday.

And, this type of fasting, which has gained popularity in Silicon Valley, set aside the pleasures of life to focus on ourselves. The only good thing is that it does not restrict food, but other facets that often guarantee some (or much) happiness. He proposes eliminating social networks, alcohol and sex for a while. Yes, you are reading well.

This type of fasting, (called 'fasting') in English is based on the idea that we are overstimulated and segregate more dopamine than is really necessary, which causes us to get used to its effects, tolerate it and fall into a circle of overstimulation continuous.

In Spain, it is an increasingly popular trend, since this fast has been taken as a kind of detox. However, experts do not recommend this measure. The ifee app psychologists team He has explained why adopting this attitude can even be harmful in the long term.

Depriving the organism of pleasure can have devastating consequences, "Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that our brain produces with different objectives. Normally this substance is only associated with everything related to pleasure, but the truth is that dopamine has various functions that are they also refer to motivation, affectivity and motor control. Altered levels of dopamine, both by excess and by default, are present in Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and drug addiction, among other health problems. " For what is beneficial, what is said to be beneficial …

Where does this idea of ​​deprivation of the pleasurable come from? Psychologists have it clear, "Behind techniques such as fasting dopamine is the goal of improving the productivity of executives of technology companies that are very stressed and hyperconnected to technology."

So … Is the dopamine fast? No. Perhaps abandoning alcohol and social networks does have benefits, however, leaving aside everything that causes us pleasure is not the solution to be more productive and more focused.