Whether you're a drinker or know someone who is, you are bound to learn something about alcohol on this page. We cover in detail how alcohol is absorbed, metabolized, and affected by eating food. After you've finished reading and watching the videos, you'll have a clear picture of why eating food before and during drinking is a must.
FOR DRINKERS,
THE WEB'S MOST INFORMATIVE PAGE!
Whether you're a drinker or know someone who is, you are bound to learn something about alcohol on this page. We cover in detail how alcohol is absorbed, metabolized, and affected by eating food. After you've finished reading and watching the videos, you'll have a clear picture of why eating food before and during drinking is a must.
FOR DRINKERS, THE WEB'S MOST INFORMATIVE PAGE!
To better understand how food can affect alcohol absorption and metabolism, we first need to see where the alcohol goes and what the human body does to it.... just follow the numbers to find out*:
Now that you have a good idea of where Wally's wine goes, let's take a look at how food can affect it. Unlike many other drugs, alcohol is not available in controlled formulations; there is no such thing as timed-release Tequila or Chardonnay. Eating food before and during drinking is the only practical way to control alcohol other than the speed and amount of your imbibing. If there is little or no food in your stomach when you drink, the alcohol enters your small intestine rapidly and that is where it is absorbed the quickest...THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. Eating food before or during drinking can reduce your peak blood alcohol level through two known mechanisms.
Having food in your stomach slows the transfer of alcohol from the stomach to the small intestine. This
This slow down of alcohol moving through the liver facilitates more efficient alcohol inactivation (hepatic 1st pass metabolism) before it gets into the main circulation. Overall, less alcohol gets into your circulating blood*.
Food has been found to have another effect on alcohol even AFTER it is already in your bloodstream; increasing the liver's speed at inactivating it. This phenomena has been demonstrated by injecting test subjects with alcohol and then feeding them*. In that scenario, eating the food caused an increase in liver alcohol clearance compared to not eating. This effect is most likely caused by food both stimulating increased blood flow to the liver as well as directly increasing liver enzyme activity. However, the liver's capacity to inactivate alcohol can readily be saturated and food's effect here is limited. In other words, although food can be helpful, you can't rely on eating to sober you up after Alcohol is already in your system.
*SOURCES: Oneta, SM et. al., Gut 1998; 43:612-619., Ramchandani, VA and O'Conner, S, Alc Res & Health 2006; 29,4: 286-290. Holt, S, CMA J 1981; 124:267-277.
WHEN YOU EAT A SOBAR or any other food before you drink,
you can benefit from both of these effects!
SOURCES: Oneta, SM et. al., Gut 1998; 43:612-619., Holt, S, CMA J 1981; 124:267-277, Jones, AW et. al., Br J Clin Pharmacol 1997; 44:521-526. ©ZENO FUNCTIONAL FOODS, LLC
The fact is that most drinkers, even the most experienced, seriously underestimate how much food can affect alcohol absorption. We polled more than 500 drinkers in the US and over 60% thought that a 200 calorie snack, eaten before 2 drinks, would reduce alcohol absorption by 15% or less. Almost 40% thought the food would have no (0-5%) effect! Under controlled conditions*, a 70g SOBAR could reduce peak blood alcohol concentration, on average, by 50%. Now that is food for thought!
*Under a controlled clinical testing environment, a 70g SOBAR consumed 5 minutes before a double cocktail equivalent of alcohol and absorption compared to a no food eaten control. Your results may vary.
Here is a collection of some of the best public service videos on important alcohol related topics, each only 1 to 3 minutes long. They highlight some key things that all drinkers should know.
WARNING: Some of the following videos contain graphic content and may not be suitable for all viewers.
A humorous overview of alcohol absorption, metabolism, and elimination. A real "old school classic".
Drinking after a meal or on an empty stomach, an entertaining real-world experiment.
Covers some of the main health effects of alcohol, not focused on accidents. *2 units ≈ 1 pint beer or 1 glass wine
Starts as a typical liquor ad and then takes an unexpected turn.
An amazingly well done and powerful message. "It's a celebration" 50th anniversary advertisement.
One of the many great and entertaining ads from the New Zealand anti-drink driving campaign.
Don't just take our word for it...here are some great resources for finding out more about alcohol.
Every effort has been made to be factually correct regarding the information on this page. If you would like to comment on or offer suggestions/corrections about any of its content, please send it in an email to contact@zenofunctionalfoods.com.
DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. SOBAR® DOES NOT PREVENT ALL ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU CAN STILL BECOME INTOXICATED. IF YOU ARE ALREADY INTOXICATED, SOBAR® WILL NOT SOBER YOU UP OR LOWER YOUR BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL. SOBAR® CAN SLOW ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU MAY EXPERIENCE A DELAYED EFFECT FROM THE ALCOHOL CONSUMED.
DRINKING RESPONSIBLY AND EATING FOOD AND/OR A SOBAR® BEFORE YOU DRINK ARE SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS YOU CAN TAKE WHEN CONSUMING ALCOHOL . HOWEVER, ALCOHOL IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS DRUG WHOSE CONSUMPTION CAN INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF HARM TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS AS WELL AS TO INCREASE YOUR RISK FOR A NUMBER OF SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
Every effort has been made to be factually correct regarding the information on this page. If you would like to comment on or offer suggestions/corrections about any of its content, please send it in an email to contact@zenofunctionalfoods.com.
DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. EATING A SOBAR OR ANY OTHER FOOD: (1) DOES NOT PREVENT ALL ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU CAN STILL BECOME INTOXICATED. (2) WILL NOT SOBER YOU UP OR LOWER YOUR BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL IF YOU ARE ALREADY INTOXICATED. (3) CAN SLOW ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU MAY EXPERIENCE A DELAYED EFFECT FROM THE ALCOHOL CONSUMED.
To better understand how food can affect alcohol absorption and metabolism, we first need to see where the alcohol goes and what the human body does to it....just follow the numbers to find out*:
Now that you have a good idea of where Wally's wine goes, let's take a look at how food can affect it. Unlike many other drugs, alcohol is not available in controlled formulations; there is no such thing as timed-release Tequila or Chardonnay. Eating food before and during drinking is the only practical way to control alcohol other than the speed and amount of your imbibing. If there is little or no food in your stomach when you drink, the alcohol enters your small intestine rapidly and that is where it is absorbed the quickest...THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. Eating food before or during drinking can reduce your peak blood alcohol level through two known mechanisms.
Having food in your stomach slows the transfer of alcohol from the stomach to the small intestine. This
This slow down of alcohol moving through the liver facilitates more efficient alcohol inactivation (hepatic 1st pass metabolism) before it gets into the main circulation. Overall, less alcohol gets into your circulating blood*.
Food has been found to have another effect on alcohol even AFTER it is already in your bloodstream; increasing the liver's speed at inactivating it. This phenomena has been demonstrated by injecting test subjects with alcohol and then feeding them*. In that scenario, eating the food caused an increase in liver alcohol clearance compared to not eating. This effect is most likely caused by food both stimulating increased blood flow to the liver as well as directly increasing liver enzyme activity. However, the liver's capacity to inactivate alcohol can readily be saturated and food's effect here is limited. In other words, although food can be helpful, you can't rely on eating to sober you up after Alcohol is already in your system.
*SOURCES: Oneta, SM et. al., Gut 1998; 43:612-619., Ramchandani, VA and O'Conner, S, Alc Res & Health 2006; 29,4: 286-290. Holt, S, CMA J 1981; 124:267-277.
When you eat a SOBAR or other food before you drink,you can benefit from both of these effects!
SOURCES: Oneta, SM et. al., Gut 1998; 43:612-619., Holt, S, CMA J 1981; 124:267-277, Jones, AW et. al., Br J Clin Pharmacol 1997; 44:521-526. ©ZENO FUNCTIONAL FOODS, LLC
The fact is that most drinkers, even the most experienced, seriously underestimate how much food can affect alcohol absorption. We polled more than 500 drinkers in the US and over 60% thought that a 200 calorie snack, eaten before 2 drinks, would reduce alcohol absorption by 15% or less. Almost 40% thought the food would have no (0-5%) effect! Under controlled conditions*, a 70g SOBAR could reduce peak blood alcohol concentration, on average, by 50%. Now that is food for thought!
*Under a controlled clinical testing environment, a 70g SOBAR consumed 5 minutes before a double cocktail equivalent of alcohol and absorption compared to a no food eaten control. Your results may vary.
Here is a collection of some of the best public interest videos on important alcohol related topics, each only 1 or 2 minutes long. They highlight some key things that all drinkers should know.
WARNING: Some of the following videos contain graphic content and may not be suitable for all viewers.
A humorous overview of alcohol absorption, metabolism, and elimination. A real "old school classic".
Covers some of the main health effects of alcohol, not focused on accidents.
Starts as a typical liquor ad and then takes an unexpected turn.
An amazingly well done and powerful message. "It's a celebration" 50th anniversary advertisement.
One of the many great and entertaining ads from the New Zealand anti-drink driving campaign.
DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. SOBAR® DOES NOT PREVENT ALL ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU CAN STILL BECOME INTOXICATED. IF YOU ARE ALREADY INTOXICATED, SOBAR® WILL NOT SOBER YOU UP OR LOWER YOUR BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL. SOBAR® CAN SLOW ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU MAY EXPERIENCE A DELAYED EFFECT FROM THE ALCOHOL CONSUMED.
DRINKING RESPONSIBLY AND EATING FOOD AND/OR A SOBAR® BEFORE YOU DRINK ARE SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS YOU CAN TAKE WHEN CONSUMING ALCOHOL . HOWEVER, ALCOHOL IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS DRUG WHOSE CONSUMPTION CAN INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF HARM TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS AS WELL AS TO INCREASE YOUR RISK FOR A NUMBER OF SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
Every effort has been made to be factually correct regarding the information on this page. If you would like to comment on or offer suggestions/corrections about any of its content, please send it in an email to contact@zenofunctionalfoods.com.
Here is a collection of some of the best public service videos on important alcohol related topics, each only 1 to 3 minutes long. They highlight some key things that all drinkers should know.
WARNING: Some of the following videos contain graphic content and may not be suitable for all viewers.
A humorous overview of alcohol absorption, metabolism, and elimination. A real "old school classic".
Drinking after a meal or on an empty stomach, an entertaining real-world experiment.
Covers some of the main health effects of alcohol, not focused on accidents. *2 units ≈ 1 pint beer or 1 glass wine
Starts as a typical liquor ad and then takes an unexpected turn.
An amazingly well done and powerful message. "It's a celebration" 50th anniversary advertisement.
One of the many great and entertaining ads from the New Zealand anti-drink driving campaign.
Don't just take our word for it...here are some great resources for finding out more about alcohol.
Every effort has been made to be factually correct regarding the information on this page. If you would like to comment on or offer suggestions/corrections about any of its content, please send it in an email to contact@zenofunctionalfoods.com.
DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. EATING A SOBAR OR ANY OTHER FOOD: (1) DOES NOT PREVENT ALL ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU CAN STILL BECOME INTOXICATED. (2) WILL NOT SOBER YOU UP OR LOWER YOUR BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL IF YOU ARE ALREADY INTOXICATED. (3) CAN SLOW ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND YOU MAY EXPERIENCE A DELAYED EFFECT FROM THE ALCOHOL CONSUMED.