Author | Chen Zhihan Source | Science and Technology Propaganda and Cultural Resource Library As the saying goes, "Don't drink alcohol without vegetables", such a dietary rule has been passed down from ancient times to the present. From carefully cooked fresh shrimp and fish to c

2025/06/2102:41:35 regimen 1419

Author | Chen Zhihan Source | Science and Technology Propaganda and Cultural Resource Library

As the saying goes, "Do not drink alcohol without vegetables", such a dietary rule has been passed down from ancient times to the present.

, carefully cooked fresh shrimp and fish meat, and crispy fried peanuts, all of which have become special embellishments next to the cup by the name of "sauce and drink".

Why can’t you resist eating some food when drinking?

In fact, scientists have long noticed the relationship between "drinking alcohol" and "eating vegetables". Some past studies have shown that alcohol intake may help increase appetite, which has also become the "aperitif effect" in the people's mouth.

In 2015, the Harvard School of Public Health first attempted to clarify the reasons behind this effect. They performed an MRI scan on volunteers after ing alcohol , and found that the volunteers' inhaled food odors responded completely differently to the brain (mainly in the hypothalamic region) - the former was significantly more active.

According to this, researchers believe that alcohol is enough to despise the brain and make it focus more on the aroma of the meal.

Recently, at the International Obesity Conference held in Melbourne , Dr. Amanda Grech from the University of Sydney, Australia explained the "aperry effect" from another perspective based on the latest research of his team.

"Alcohol intake seems to be not only about appetite, but specifically about certain aspects of appetite," Grech said. They found that when drinking, people tend to prefer to enjoy some salty foods.

His team collected health information from the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activities Survey database, including the food and beverages, calorie levels of each volunteer intake within 24 hours, as well as the proportion of calories from protein , fat and carbohydrate. The results of the

survey meet expectations: about 2/3 drinkers choose to "drink" foods with high protein, low carbohydrate and low fat, such as lean meat, fish, seafood, nuts and beans; the other 1/3 drinkers prefer salty snacks mainly made of potato chips, sausages, and garlic bread (these snacks are also called "protein baits", that is, "disguised" as protein-rich foods, with extremely low protein content and high fat content).

Grech explained that this is because after drinking, the level of a hormone called FGF-21 in the human body also increased. Its secretion will stimulate the body's desire for protein and at the same time weaken the drinker's interest in sweets.

So, will the eating habits of "delicious food and wine" make people face greater risk of obesity?

After comparing calorie consumption between frequent drinkers and non-repellent drinkers, the answer was: basically no.

They found that the average intake of alcohol users is 1749 kcal (including the calories of alcohol itself), which is not only lower than the "2200 kcal" consumed by non-drinkers, but also lower than their own needs to maintain their current weight.

However, for the volunteers who are tempted by "protein bait" and drink with high-fat foods, their calories intake are still far greater than those in the non-drinking group (the average calories intake is 3051 kcal). Crech pointed out that if they continue this habit, a weight surge will be inevitable.

"It is undeniable that in the current environment, there are many varieties of low-protein and high-fat snack foods and are sold at low prices. It is easy for consumers to choose them to enjoy themselves under the temptation of alcohol. From this point of view, alcohol has indeed contributed to the popularity of obesity."