The effects of ethanol on appetite
It so happens that I was, in fact, not at prey to a mood swing craving last night. My hunger was scientifically supported by research confirming the impact of ethanol on my appetite without a doubt. I very rarely drank alcohol in the past 7 years and the delicious homemade single glass of cider I drank last night stimulated my stomach to make me feel like I hadn’t eaten all day. I voraciously took out my hanger on my single dried apricot and warm decaf chai, and afterward, I was still peckish and puzzled by this unexpected state. I managed to eventually fall asleep and forget about that episode.
As usual, I woke up nerding out on scientific articles and stumbled upon the weekly digest newsletter of McGill Office for Science and Society. I had received it on the day before and hadn’t had the chance to read yet. Right there, the answer to my late night hunger was explained in an instant. The night before, I was completely destabilized by feeling so famished, when I just had a large meal and a balanced day. I couldn’t grasp the reason for this sudden burst of appetite and now I can find comfort in the fact that elements were fighting against my best self-control. I didn’t have any unusual efforts or stresses, it was a fun calm joyous day and I couldn’t understand my urge. I’m so glad that the article “Am I Drunk, Hungry, Or Both? Alcohol As An Appetite Stimulant” by Ada McVean provided me with much-needed insight on the subject.
I was the victim of an orexigenic agent, now that I know, I will pay attention to my fibre intake and prepare low-calorie filling snacks for later to temper this phenomenon. Since ethanol increases hunger only while eating, having drunk my glass later in my meal, to my surprise it left me hungry! On top of inhibiting leptin, the calories from alcohol don’t make us feel as full as other calorie sources. There’s also an associative psychological factor at play but I haven’t been drinking socially for many years and don’t feel as driven to drink alcohol and eat together like I used to. Still, this is important information when one wants to control their eating habits. Surprisingly the effect of alcohol removing one’s inhibitions is not to blame here, as research has demonstrated.
Once more, we can blame it on the alcohol. It’s good to know this as we can time drinking to better manage our appetite. Maybe reserve that drink for after the meal when we feel full, so leptin has taken its effect already. Nevertheless, and what can always uplift any day, I’m going to bed smarter.
