Recent studies continue to support a decades-old drug as an alternative means of reducing alcohol consumption.

The prescription opioid pill, called naltrexone, was first approved by the FDA to treat opioid dependence in 1984. A decade later, it was approved for alcohol use disorder.

In addition to the daily pill version, naltrexone is also available as a monthly injectable therapy, which was approved for alcohol use disorder in 2006 and opioid use disorder in 2010.

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How it works

Naltrexone works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain. For those dependent on opioids, it blocks the “euphoric” effects of the drugs and also curbs cravings for alcohol, according to experts.

“Naltrexone can be used to assist with reducing alcohol cravings and reduce the pleasurable effects from alcohol ingestion, which can help those prone to binge-drinking to consume less volume,” Dr. David Campbell, clinical director and program director at Recover Together, a behavioral health and addiction treatment facility in Bend, Oregon, told Fox News Digital.

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The medication is useful for people who experience strong cravings, often drink to excess once they start, or drink primarily due to reward or relief as opposed to habit, according to Campbell.

“Naltrexone affects the rewards center of the brain, which blocks the rewarding effects of alcohol.”

Jessica Steinman, chief clinical officer at No Matter What Recovery in Los Angeles, calls naltrexone “an incredibly helpful and life-saving tool” for people who struggle with alcohol use disorder. 

“Currently, in our society, many people are looking to get medication-assisted help from overconsumption of certain things or behaviors, including food, cigarettes and now alcohol,” she told Fox News Digital.

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“Naltrexone affects the rewards center of the brain, which blocks the rewarding effects of alcohol and cravings to be minimized. It can assist in telling the brain that alcohol isn’t wanted.”

The drug can also help if someone has a “healthy” relationship with alcohol and is looking to cut back on their drinking behaviors, Steinman added. 

“We do not suggest moderation in any way for people struggling with alcohol use disorder or any type of dependence to alcohol or other substances,” she noted. “We do not believe drinking ‘less’ is a solution.”

Side effects

Common side effects of naltrexone can include nausea and vomiting, headache, sleep disturbances, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, loss of appetite, and joint or muscle pain, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

These effects are generally mild and may improve as the body adjusts to the medication.

In rare cases, patients may experience more severe effects, such as liver issues, allergic reactions, trouble breathing and mental health effects.

“The most important thing when taking naltrexone for alcohol use is to ensure that there is no concurrent use of opioids, as taking naltrexone when using opioids can induce precipitated withdrawal, a very uncomfortable event,” Campbell cautioned.

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More than 50% of U.S. adults drink alcohol, about 17% are classified as binge-drinkers and about 6% drink heavily, according to CDC data.

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Each year, around 178,000 deaths in the country are linked to excessive alcohol use.

“Heavy alcohol consumption and binge-drinking can lead to many health problems and make chronic health conditions worse, so reducing alcohol intake can really improve health,” Donita Robinson, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the UNC School of Medicine in North Carolina, told Fox News Digital.

“Naltrexone helps many people reduce their drinking – it’s an effective medication to reduce alcohol craving and heavy drinking, and it works best in combination with counseling or other therapy.”

Robinson reiterated that people who are on opioid medications, including some painkillers, shouldn’t take naltrexone, as it can block their effectiveness and cause opioid withdrawal.

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Naltrexone is available with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider, such as a primary care doctor, addiction medicine specialist or psychiatrist.

Health officials warn against purchasing the drug online or without a prescription, as it may be counterfeit and unsafe.

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Those interested in exploring whether naltrexone is an option for them should see a doctor, who can assess the safety of the drug based on the patient’s medical status and history.

They should also “make sure they have their goals and intentions in line before using a medication like this,” according to Steinman.

Welcome to Day 2 of the Brain Health Challenge. Today, we’re talking about food.

Your brain is an energy hog. Despite comprising about 2 percent of the average person’s body mass, it consumes roughly 20 percent of the body’s energy. In other words, what you use to fuel yourself matters for brain health.

So what foods are best for your brain?

In a nine-year study of nearly 1,000 older adults, researchers at Rush University in Chicago found that people who ate more of nine particular types of food — berries, leafy greens, other vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, poultry and olive oil — and who ate less red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, sweet treats and fried food had slower cognitive decline.

Based on these findings, the researchers developed the MIND diet.

Large studies encompassing thousands of people have since shown that following the MIND diet corresponds with better cognitive functioning, a lower risk of dementia and slower disease progression in people with Alzheimer’s. People benefit from the diet regardless of whether they start it in midlife or late life.

Experts think the foods included in the MIND diet are especially good for the brain because they contain certain macro and micronutrients.

Berries and leafy greens, for example, are rich in polyphenols and other antioxidants, said Jennifer Ventrelle, a dietitian at Rush and a co-author of “The Official Mind Diet.” Many of these compounds can cross the blood-brain barrier and help to fight inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can damage cells and are linked to dementia.

Nuts and fatty fishes, like salmon and sardines, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for building the insulating sheaths that surround the nerve fibers that carry information from one brain cell to another.

Whole grains and beans both contain a hefty dose of fiber, which feeds the good microbes in the gut. Those microbes produce byproducts called short-chain fatty acids that experts think can influence brain health via the gut-brain axis.

You don’t have to revamp your whole diet to get these nutrients. Instead, think about “MIND-ifying” whatever you already tend to eat, said Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at NYU Langone Health and the founder and chief medical officer of the telehealth platform Isaac Health. For instance, add a handful of nuts or berries to your breakfast.

Today’s activity will help you MIND-ify your own meals. Share your choices with your accountability partner and in the comments, and I’ll discuss the ways I’m adjusting my diet, too. For added inspiration, check out these MIND-approved recipes from New York Times Cooking.

The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is sounding the alarm after 26 new measles cases were reported since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the state’s latest outbreak to 211.

DPH first reported a measles outbreak Oct. 2 in the Upstate region. As of Tuesday, 144 people are in quarantine and seven people are in isolation.

Of the 211 cases, 45 involve children under 5, 143 cases involve children ages 5 to 17, 17 cases involve adults and six cases involve minors whose ages weren’t disclosed.

DPH said 196 of the 211 infected individuals were unvaccinated, four were partially vaccinated, one was vaccinated and 10 are either still being investigated or have an unknown vaccination status.

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Officials said 19 of the new cases were associated with “exposures in known households and previously reported school exposures,” and four resulted from church exposures.

DPH identified public exposures at Sugar Ridge Elementary and Boiling Springs Elementary and began notifying potentially exposed students, faculty and staff Dec. 31. 

There are nine students in quarantine from the two schools.

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Exposures also happened at the Tabernacle of Salvation Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, Slavic Pentecostal Church of Spartanburg and Ark of Salvation Church.

The source of one case is unknown, while two others are still being investigated.

Although complications from measles are not reportable, officials said four people, including adults and children, required hospitalization for complications from the disease.

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Additional cases required medical care, but the infected individuals were not hospitalized.

Those infected with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears and may be unaware they can spread measles before they know they have the disease, according to DPH.

DPH said it is important for those with a mild illness or those who are in quarantine to stay home to protect others.

“We encourage employers to support workers in following DPH recommendations to stay out of work while ill or in quarantine, which also protects businesses, other workers and clients,” officials wrote in a statement.

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DPH said vaccinations continue to be the best way to prevent measles and stop the outbreak.

Though the CDC recently released new vaccine recommendations under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., its guidelines still dictate all children should be immunized for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV) and chickenpox.