High Blood Alcohol Levels Reduce Calorie Intake

Alcohol content in the blood was found to suppress appetite and weight gain, reveals study.

High alcohol content in the blood is found to be linked with reduced calorie intake, according to a series of studies published in the journal ‘ Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.’

Conducted on rats, the studies showed //laboratory rats will drink alcohol if it's available, and may even get a little tipsy. However, they won't voluntarily drink until they're drunk. And while ethanol is calorie-rich, rats that drink it eat less food and their total energy intake remains steady.

Moderate Alcohol Intake Has Least Impact on Good Cholesterol's Decline
Moderate alcohol consumption which is a serving or two for men, was associated with a slower decline compared to non-drinkers or heavy drinkers.

‘Increased alcohol content in the blood reduces appetite and weight gain.’

"I was looking at whether alcohol intake affects overall caloric intake and body weight change," said Nu-Chu Liang, who led the research. Adding, "And the result, in terms of voluntary drinking, is that it does not - at least in rats."

When the researchers dosed the rats with higher levels of alcohol through injections in an effort to mimic the effects of binge drinking, however, the results were very different.

At blood alcohol levels that correspond to intoxication in humans (0.08 percent and higher), the rats ate significantly fewer calories and began to lose weight. This is the first study to show a direct link between blood alcohol levels and feeding behavior in rats.

Bubbles and Brews - Alcohol Facts-Nutritive Value-Safe Intake-Effects-Famous Quotes
There is more to alcohol than mere intoxication. Infamous because of its social abuse but indispensable because of its many industrial applications.

Rats make better models of human feeding behaviors than mice because rats are bigger mammals and eat significantly more than mice, making it easier to measure their food intake.

Their feeding patterns and related brain circuits also are more like those of humans, she explained. But there are limitations. Several studies in humans suggest that moderate drinking stimulates appetite, but this is not seen in the rats.

Alcohol Addiction and Women
Social drinking amongst women has become a fad. Stop it before it finishes you.

The rats ate the same standard lab chow every day, so their interest in the food was likely blunted by familiarity.

Future studies will try to better mimic conditions that humans encounter when consuming alcohol, Liang said. "When humans drink, a lot of times it's in an environment that encourages appetite, so it's at a dinner or a social event like a party," she said. Adding, "And then you have a glass of wine and your blood alcohol level is elevated but not reaching intoxication, and there's also a lot of food around and you have choices of what food you want."

The new findings suggest that if alcohol suppresses appetite, it does so only at blood alcohol levels corresponding to heavy intoxication in humans.

However, this would not be a good weight-loss model for humans. "In this case, high blood alcohol levels suppress appetite and suppress weight gain, but it's more like the loss of appetite and weight loss during sickness," she said.

Source-ANI