Is It Better to Eat Before Drinking Alcohol?

Ideally, it is better to drink alcohol on a full stomach and not on an empty stomach. Not only will it help maintain energy levels, but it will also slow down the rate of absorption.

Alcohol is absorbed more slowly when the stomach is full.

Everyone reacts differently to alcohol and will absorb it at different rates. Women will generally absorb alcohol faster than men. But when there is food in the stomach it will slow down the rate of absorption and its effects.

The food in the stomach prevents alcohol from quickly passing to the small intestines where most of the alcohol enters the blood stream; thus, the body absorbs it at a lower rate.

Conversely, drinking on an empty stomach allows the alcohol to pass quickly from the stomach to the small intestines from where it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, this will increase the effects of drinking, like getting drunk.

Controlled or moderate drinking of alcohol on an empty stomach is reasonable. But fast and heavy drinking on an empty stomach is dangerous.  This may cause bodily harm.

Most of the alcohol is absorbed by the small intestine.

A small quantity of alcohol is absorbed into blood vessels in the tongue and mouth. When it reaches the stomach, about 20 percent gets absorbed into the blood. The remaining 75 – 85 percent of alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream while passing through the small intestine.

From here, the bloodstream moves alcohol to various parts of the body. The alcohol moves around the body through the bloodstream until it is metabolized, mostly by the liver. In the liver, blood is filtered, and about 80 – 90 percent of the alcohol is broken down to water, energy, carbon dioxide, and also some toxins. The brain, pancreas, and stomach also help metabolize alcohol. 

The body is adapted to excrete about 10 percent of the alcohol you take in the urine. As you drink, alcohol moves to the brain and can cause us to feel drunk by binding to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. Some of the remaining alcohol evaporates as we breath in the lungs, about 8 percent.

Always enjoy your drinks in moderation.

You should always enjoy your drinks in moderation. If you tend to get drunk too quickly, you should try eating before drinking. Also, use Rallymate to avoid rough mornings and minimize your recovery time.

 

Rallymate helps reduce GABA-rebound and super-charges your recovery time after drinking alcohol. Try it today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.