Why should you not drink alcohol on an empty stomach?

Alcohol is the most widely used beverage today. Both when we are happy and when we are sad, we often turn to alcohol to share joy or relieve sadness. Everyone knows that alcohol is bad for health, but few people know how to drink alcohol to limit its harmful effects.

Most alcohol is absorbed in the small intestine when we drink it, and if we drink alcohol on an empty stomach, the small intestine will absorb the alcohol directly into the bloodstream. If you have eaten before drinking alcohol, the food will slow the rate of alcohol absorption, which can limit the hangover as well as the side effects.

Perhaps a few times in your life you have heard "Never drink on an empty stomach" but a lot of people do not understand the root cause of the problem.In this article we will take a closer look.

How does our digestive system absorb alcohol?

The alcohol we drink is a liquid called ethanol or ethyl alcohol used for research in the field of chemistry. Alcohol molecules are readily soluble in solvents such as water, acetone, and blood. When drinking alcohol, a small amount is first absorbed in the oral cavity, followed by the stomach, but most of the alcohol is absorbed by the small intestine.

Linkage formula of ethanol

The concentration of alcohol in most organs in the body is the same as in our blood. However, the liver is a little different, the liver is the place to metabolize alcohol, and also absorb some of the alcohol directly from the intestines. In addition, organs with an abundance of blood such as the brain or lungs also contribute to the faster diffusion of alcohol.

Alcohol metabolism

When we finish drinking alcohol, your body will have an unpleasant odor to the people next to you, this is scientifically explained because about 10% of the total alcohol is consumed through sweat, urine and breath. , which is when your body is "releasing" the alcohol out of your body. At that time, you may feel your body warmer from drinking alcohol and even sweat. Your liver is the "savior" with the function like a detox machine, able to consume up to 90% of the remaining alcohol. The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase present in the liver converts alcohol into other chemicals, which are broken down to produce carbon dioxide and water, and then excreted.

Drinking alcohol means that your kidneys have to increase their "working capacity" to eliminate by-products

In addition, alcohol is also considered a "diuretic". When you drink alcohol, you can go more because then the kidneys work harder. Drinking alcohol means your kidneys have to increase their "work capacity" to remove the by-products of alcohol metabolism from the body.

Alcohol is absorbed fastest when taken on an empty stomach

The rate at which alcohol is absorbed depends on many different factors from gender, age and even "tolerance" - each person's ability to tolerate alcohol. However, alcohol will be absorbed into the body fastest if we drink it on an empty stomach. Blood alcohol concentration will peak about 1 hour after we drink alcohol on an empty stomach, about 20-30% higher than normal. Carbonated drinks from soft drinks and sodas to champagne or whiskey increase the body's alcohol concentration.

Conversely, if you already have food in your stomach, the rate of alcohol absorption will be slowed down, about 25% less than the increase when drinking on an empty stomach. The body contains carbohydrates or other foods that will slow the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream, it is understood that the concentration of the body's absorption system is divided between alcohol and food.

Drinking on an empty stomach can worsen symptoms and affect the body

 Alcohol reduces the ability to think.

Not only makes you drunk quickly, alcohol will reduce the ability to think, consciousness and ability to move, keep balance of the body if you drink on an empty stomach. In addition, you will quickly be "received" by the vomiting, the feeling of nausea is very severe, the headache, the dizziness is very uncomfortable, leading to the "hangover" state in the body that will last longer than normal. often. You also suffer from insomnia, not sleeping well (not to be confused with being in a drunken stupor), sensitive to light and sound, feeling thirsty all the time, "dry throat".

What to do when offered alcohol on an empty stomach?

Don't be in a hurry to "eat your cup" without eating anything, eat something before the first sip of wine, or at least eat and drink at the same time. It is best to eat foods rich in carbohydrates, such as rice or cereals to make the body feel more comfortable when drinking alcohol.

Fill your stomach before drinking alcohol.

However, if you don't see something to eat, dilute your drink, such as water or juice. The other way is to drink it little by little so that the body gradually adapts and absorbs alcohol in small doses, limiting the bad effects.

Continuing the saying that we mentioned at the beginning of the article: Never drink on an empty stomach is Fill your stomach before drinking alcohol. It's a way to give your body time to prepare before doing "harder" work than usual. The interesting thing is that wine will be a refreshing drink if taken with a delicious meal or when diluted. That's the best you can do for your body.