Why Does Drinking Beer Make You Hungry?
Why do you always feel hungry after drinking beer? A new scientific study explains why most of us have urges to eat pizza, McDonald’s and Kraft Dinner after late night boozefests.
By The Beer Community on Jan. 19, 2017
Have you ever asked your taxi driver to pull into the nearest drive-thru? Have you ever eaten four or more Pizza Pops as soon as you got home from a heavy night? Hey, don’t worry, we’ve all been there and it’s not just because we’re fat, drunken slobs. Well… I guess we can’t speak for everyone. But the good news is there is now a science to explain why we crave high-carb foods after a few too many brews!
The science behind drinking and being hungry:
The Alcoholic Weekend Experiment
Researchers examined the effect of alcohol consumption on food intake in a group of mice. The scientists called this an “alcoholic weekend” experiment (we like to call it a weekend bender, but same thing). The mice were injected with alcohol over three days. After their behaviour was studied, it was found that the rodents ate significantly more food once injected with alcohol.
After all of the tests were conducted, the results showed that alcohol stimulates a part of our brain called the Hypothalamus. The Hypothalamus is responsible for the hormone production of thirst, hunger, sleep, circadian rhythm, moods, and sex drive. Although the study was performed on mice, the results likely apply to humans because we have the same neurons in our brains that made the mice go hungry after a little boozing.
Drinking beer (or any kind of alcohol) gives you a false sense of hunger
Even though beer has a high number of calories and it feels as though it’s filling us up, one too many will cause our body to have what researchers call “a false sense of starvation”.
Now next time you get the drunk munchies, you’ll know why. Thanks Science!
Now that you know why drinking beer can make you hungry, Read on to learn more about beer:
How The Foam On Your Beer Keeps It From Spilling
Ultrasonic Waves Can Enhance The Taste And Aroma Of Your Beer
3 Reasons To Drink Beer From A Glass