Got the munchies again? THIS is why you gorge after drinking alcohol

IT’S the time of year when people drink and eat more than usual and a new study has revealed how alcohol and snacking are linked.

 

Scientists have identified the link between snacking and alcohol

 

Drinking alcohol, the latest research has revealed, impairs our inhibitory control making it harder to resist food ... so we have a tendency to eat more.

Researchers found that participants who drank alcohol and were then given cookies ate more than those who didn’t.

On top of this, the women in the study who considered themselves restrained eaters weren’t affected by the alcohol.

 

Alcohol inhibits our ability to turn down food

 

The study assigned women to either drink vodka lemonade or a placebo drink of lemonade with a spritz of vodka on the glass – so the second group believed they were also drinking alcohol.

Once the women had finished their drinks, they were asked to fill in a food craving questionnaire and complete a task of identifying coloured words.

They were then given a plate of chocolate chip cookies for 15-minutes and allowed to eat as many as they wanted.

 

In the study, women who drank ate more of the junk food

 

The women drinking vodka lemonade, unsurprisingly, performed less well in the mental task and ate more cookies. 

This is one of the first studies to link inhibitory control and food cravings – many previous studies have attributed alcohol to increased cravings.

The study’s authors said: “These findings highlight the role of alcohol consumption as a contributor to weight gain and suggest that further research into the role of restraint in alcohol-induced food consumption is needed.” 

  

Research has previously linked cravings and alcohol, not a lack of discipline

 

Researchers added that most restrained eaters are able to maintain control over their eating behaviour.

The research will be published in the journal of Health Psychology.