Blame it on the alcohol! Your late night cravings actually explained
Look, we’ve all been there at 4 o’clock in the morning standing outside McDonalds with two paper bags in hand and attempting to count some coppers to make sure you’ve got enough cash to get yourself home.
A commonly asked question around the world on a Saturday night is ‘food or a taxi home?’
There’s nothing to feel guilty about, because apparently there’s a scientific explanation.
Alcohol is a depressant. Meaning: even if you took an ‘eat clean feel mean and lean’ approach to your eating habits all week, after a few cocktails with pals on a Saturday night you’re inclined to not give a crap about the diet and eat two pizza slices at once.
“By increasing the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), people when highly intoxicated may engage in behaviours that they would normally do when sober,” Dr. Mike Fenster, author of Fallacy of the Calorie said. “These can run the gamut from violent or sexually flirtatious behaviours to less immediately destructive impulsive and risk-taking behaviours.”
Basically, scientific research proves that after a late night you are chemically wired to want all of the BLT sandwiches with extra cheese you can get your hands on. It’s not actually even your fault!
Alcohol tricks your stomach into wanting all of the food you can imagine.
“Several studies have shown short-term stimulation of appetite by alcohol ingestion,” Dr. Fenster said.
Alcohol messes with your appetite control and boosts your hunger levels, apparently. Unfortunately there isn’t a whole lot you can do to avoid the affects unless you’re willing to cut out alcohol completely.
“Whatever the exact mechanism, the result is that when you get drunk alcohol storms your Bastille of inhibitions and sets loose those hard-wired, instinctive and pleasure filled behaviors. And when it comes to food, those rioters are the salty, sweet and fatty treats,” says Dr Fenster.
All things in moderation seems to be the key to success, but hey, at least we know it’s not completely our fault we ate 3 Big Macs and an entire tub of ice-cream last weekend. Blame it on the alcohol.
