There is a really dark side to beer. It is alcohol and can be abused. There are costs. Just like there are costs to eating poorly or smoking.
And considering that in a nationwide survey by the National Institutes of Health that 28% of adults in the U.S. consider themselves heavy drinkers is a worrying sign to heed.
Yet, most heavy drinkers don’t get the help they need.
If there is a silver lining to the Opioid problem in America is that medicines used to treat that addiction can help dull the craving in alcohol as well.
This article on NPR lays out the case for naltrexone.
In short, “…the drug seems to curb the euphoric and sedative effects of opiates in the brain. Alcohol is known to activate some of the same receptors in the brain that opioids do, and studies find that by tempering the pleasure from alcohol, naltrexone can help people drink less.”
“It blunts the effects of alcohol,” says Koob. “People [who use naltrexone] will say they have a drink, and it’s not doing much for them.” You aren’t repulsed by alcohol and you can still drink, it just decreases the effect of it on the body. In essence water gives you the same effects.
Now, I don’t know if it dulls the taste of beer or makes certain flavors less intense but if this can help moderate drinking (in addition to counseling, of course), then it would be worth it.