Alcohol and Food Cravings: Why Alcohol Can Make You Hungry

• Alcohol disrupts your body’s appetite regulation by suppressing the breakdown of fatty acids, increasing calorie burn, interfering with hunger hormones, and activating brain pathways linked to starvation—often making you feel hungry even after eating.
• The myth that greasy food "soaks up" alcohol is false—while eating before and after drinking can help metabolize alcohol, high-fat, high-sodium foods may actually make you feel worse.
• To curb alcohol-driven cravings, pace yourself, stay hydrated, eat a balanced meal beforehand, and prepare healthy snacks in advance.

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Why does alcohol make you hungry? It’s a question we hear from our customers all the time, and you may have wondered about it too. If you ask anyone who enjoys social drinking, they’ll likely tell you they’ve experienced food cravings after a few beverages (sometimes referred to as “drunchies,” or the drunk munchies). Whether it's beer and burgers or wine and cheese, the more we drink, the more we eat—or at least want to eat.

But is there a scientific explanation behind alcohol-induced food cravings, or is it simply another myth? Research suggests that there are several physiological reasons why you might feel hungrier after drinking alcohol. In fact, cravings for certain junk foods are especially common before, during, and after drinking. In this blog, we'll explore the science behind these cravings and what’s really happening in your body.

The science behind why alcohol can make us feel hungry

Essentially, alcohol is ethanol, which is a calorie-dense organic compound. Ethanol is about 7 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for carbs and protein, and 9 calories per gram for fat. This makes ethanol nearly as calorie-dense as fat.

Given this, you might expect ethanol to promote satiety (the feeling of fullness), but research shows it does the opposite, actually increasing appetite (Yeomans, Caton & Hetherington, 2003). Several factors may contribute to this, including that alcohol:

1. Suppresses the oxidation of fatty acids, which contributes to feelings of hunger since fatty acids play a role in appetite regulation (Baraona & Lieber, 1979).
2. Temporarily increases thermogenesis (calorie utilization causing heat production), which means you may feel hungry again more quickly than usual (Joosten et al., 2010).
3. Stimulates or inhibits neurochemical systems that play a role in appetite regulation. While the exact process is still unclear, researchers have noted that alcohol affects two primary hunger-regulating hormones: leptin and GLP-1 (Röjdmark, Calissendorff &Brismar, 2008, Jerlhag, 2019). These hormones suppress appetite and seem to be either directly or indirectly inhibited when alcohol enters the body. As a result, you may start feeling hungry after a few drinks, even if you’re already full.
4. Stimulates the same neurons in the brain that are triggered when the body goes into starvation mode. This stimulation could even lead to ethanol-induced overeating (Cains, Blomeley & Kollo, 2017).

Pair all these findings with the well-established fact that alcohol causes a reduction in self-control, and it’s clear that indulging in food cravings and overeating after drinking are commonplace (Caton, Nolan & Hetherington, 2015).

What’s happening inside your brain when you drink?

Though feeling hungry is a biophysical process that involves certain hormones and compounds, appetite also originates in the brain. Behavioral changes from drinking alcohol can lower inhibitions and decrease defenses, especially when it comes to making good food choices and portion control.

This relationship may be explained by two linked behaviors sharing the same circuits in the brain (Coker et al., 2020, Coker et al., 2021). Researchers from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine conducted a study that focused on the eating and drinking patterns of male mice. Their findings uncovered a relationship between excessive alcohol consumption and binge eating, revealing that food cravings and alcohol are behaviorally linked.

Alcohol may also stimulate nerve cells in the brain’s hypothalamus that increase appetite. These neurons are activated by starvation, cause an extreme hunger sensation, and can be stimulated by consuming alcohol, leading to those sometimes uncontrollable cravings. Likewise, alcohol affects the endocrine system and hormone response, both of which can be traced to brain functions (Rachdaoui & Sarkar, 2013).

The truth about greasy food and alcohol

There are many myths surrounding alcohol consumption. You’ve probably heard that eating greasy food after drinking helps you “soak up” the alcohol, leaving you feeling great the next morning. Unfortunately, the idea that fatty foods absorb alcohol is just that—a myth.

Indulging in those feel-good greasy foods isn’t going to sober you up or make you feel better. In fact, that cheeseburger or pizza can actually make you feel worse the next morning, as your body has to work harder to break down both the alcohol and the high levels of sodium and fat. Yet, many people often use this myth to justify indulging in those alcohol-driven food cravings.

However, eating nutritious foods even up to five hours after drinking (long after the alcohol has been absorbed) can actually speed up the breakdown of alcohol in your body (Jones & Jönsson, 1994). So, while food doesn’t "absorb" or "sop up" alcohol, it can boost the rate at which your body metabolizes it.

While it’s always good to have something in your stomach prior to drinking, eating greasy, high-fat, and high-sodium foods may do more harm than good. If you’re going to eat after drinking alcohol, it's better to stick to healthier, less calorie-dense foods.

Tips for pre-happy hour preparation

How do you navigate those cravings and wake up feeling fresh after a few drinks with friends? Preparing before cocktail hour is key. Here are some of our best tips for great nights and better mornings:

1. Pace yourself and drink responsibly. Drinking more slowly helps keep your blood alcohol levels lower, reducing both impairment and the biochemical disruptions that can lead to overeating. In addition, alcohol affects sleep quality, so be sure to stop drinking well before bedtime to give your body time to process it.
2. Drink water. While alcohol does not cause dehydration, staying hydrated supports your liver and kidneys as they work to process alcohol, helps you pace yourself, and makes you feel fuller, reducing the likelihood of overindulging in late-night snacks.
3. Eat a nutritious meal before drinking. Not only is drinking on a full stomach a responsible choice, but it also helps slow alcohol absorption. Ideally, your meal should include a vegetable or fruit, protein, complex carbohydrate, fiber, and healthy fat. Fuel up with the good stuff before you start drinking!
4. Prepare a healthy snack ahead of time. Before you start drinking, make a healthier but appealing snack (i.e., hummus and carrots; refried beans, olives, and salsa with crackers for dipping; popcorn; peanut butter and celery; etc.) and have it waiting for you when you get home. Pro tip: Eating foods high in fiber or probiotics can support your gut health by promoting beneficial bacteria and aiding digestion, which may help regulate cravings and reduce the likelihood of overindulging.
5. Be realistic. It’s important to recognize that alcohol will biochemically predispose you to make bad eating choices. Deciding to drink may increase your chances of succumbing to food cravings, regardless of your intent or willpower. Accepting this ahead of time should factor into your decision to drink in the first place, especially if you have specific fitness or nutrition goals. Use this as an additional motivation to drink responsibly and in moderation.

Lastly, make ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol your first drink of the night. While Pre-Alcohol won’t help you curb alcohol-driven food cravings, it will help you to wake up feeling fresh enough to get back on track tomorrow.

Learn more about the world’s first pre-drinking probiotic and how it works.