- Alcohol consumed on empty stomach ‘the same as getting it intravenously’
- Breathalyser showed much higher reading on woman who hadn’t eaten
- When stomach is full alcohol is slower to be digested in the bowel
- Stomach lining has enzyme which begins to break the alcohol down
Madlen Davies for MailOnline
162
View
comments
A BBC 1 series, The Truth Behind Alcohol, reveals just how quickly alcohol is absorbed on an empty stomach
We’ve all gone for a drink or two after work without eating – with often disastrous consequences as we wake up to a horrendous hangover and an unshakeable feeling of guilt.
Now, an investigation has revealed just how quickly alcohol is absorbed on an empty stomach.
As part of the BBC 1 series The Truth Behind Alcohol, AE doctor Dr Javid Abdelmoneim drinks a glass of wine after a full meal – but his friend Natalie does so on an empty stomach.
When tested with a breathalyser 20 minutes later, Natalie’s reading is almost double that of Javid’s – showing how shockingly quickly her body has absorbed the alcohol.
Such is the dramatic effect of alcohol on an empty stomach that Wayne Jones, professor of forensic toxicology at Sweden’s University of Health Sciences, says the rate of absorption is can be as fast as getting it intravenously.’
Before eating, Javid swallowed what he described as a ‘high tech hors d’oevre’ – a camera in a pill so viewers could see what was in his stomach.
After eating a plate of roast chicken, sweet potatoes and vegetables – the contents of his belly was broadcast to a screens set up at the dinner table.
In what Dr Abdelmoneim described as ‘the best dinner party trick ever’, the screen showed some chewed up broccoli being digested.
How the ‘all-day’ suncreams can lose 74% of their power to…
‘Women don’t NEED monthly periods’: Modern medicine means…
Want to lose weight? Turn up the lights! People eating in…
Would YOU go through this for clear skin? Watch the horrific…
As a graphic in the film shows, the theory behind lining the stomach is that alcohol is absorbed mainly in the small intestine.
When the stomach is full with food, this delays the alcohol getting to the bowels to be absorbed – keeping levels in the blood lower for longer.
Both Javid and his friend Natalie downed a glass of white wine and then went out to a fairground.
The theory behind lining the stomach is that alcohol is absorbed mainly in the small intestine. When the stomach is full with food, this delays the alcohol getting to the bowels to be absorbed – keeping levels in the blood lower for longer
But they breathalysed themselves at various points throughout the night to see how their results compared.
In the first reading, taken just 20 minutes after they gulped the wine, Natalie scored 44 while Javid scored just 23 – showing alcohol is absorbed twice as fast on an empty stomach.
But Javid wondered if his reading would catch up with Natalie’s over the next few hours.
An hour later, Natalie scored 32 and Javid just 15 – more than half less – revealing just how effective lining the stomach is at slowing the absorption of alcohol.
Before eating, AE doctor Dr Javid Abdelmoneim Javid swallowed a camera in a pill – and after eating a plate of roast chicken and the contents of his belly was broadcast to the dinner table
However, there is a ‘second character’ in the story – the liver, Javid explains.
The liver typically gets rid of one unit – the equivalent of one shot of spirits or a small glass of wine – an hour.
The enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the liver is also found in small amounts in the lining of the stomach.
So if the stomach is full and the alcohol remains there for longer, the lining can actually begin breaking down the alcohol as the liver does.
Men tend to have more of this enzyme active in their stomachs than women.
Dr Abdelmoneim drinks a glass of wine after a full meal – but his friend Natalie does so on an empty stomach. When tested with a breathalyser 20 minutes later, Natalie’s reading is almost double that of Javid’s
This means lining the stomach has an even bigger effect for men, Javid said.
The final readings revealed how drinking on an empty stomach means the alcohol really is absorbed at lightning speed.
At the reading taken one-and-a-half hours after drinking the wine, Javid scored 8 and Natalie scored 21.
Then, two-and-a-half hours afterwards, Javid scored zero while Natalie still scored 12 on the breathalyser.
The experiment reveals just how quickly alcohol can hit us if we don’t eat – which of course affects our behaviour and our hangover.
Share or comment on this article
Kid stands up to bully and amazingly takes him down using…
Surveillance shows gunman firing at T.I.’s Irving Plaza…
Dr Pimple Popper embarks on another extreme spot popping…
Chaotic scenes as gunman opens fire backstage at T.I. show
What about me? Dog gets jealous over her owner’s newborn…
Rosie O’Donnell launches tirade at Trump during concert
Bloody battle follows as toilet snake BITES man’s penis
19th century coffin containing little girl found under SF…
Racist Chinese detergent ad turns black man into a ‘clean’…
‘SexExpert’ Jarly performing a sultry lap dance
Mayhem as shots fired hitting 4, killing 1 at TI’s NYC…
Hanauma Bay, Hawaii is the no.1 beach for the summer of 2016
‘I was molested and passed around’: Corey Feldman describes…
It’s finally time to hit the beach! The best beaches in…
Who is Miranda? Mystery of the young blonde girl who has…
‘My heart is heavy today’: Rapper T.I. grieves over shooting…
The secret sky gardens of New York: Stunning aerial pictures…
EXCLUSIVE: Rosie O’Donnell’s foul-mouthed rant against…
The real-life karate kid! Heroic moment schoolboy stands up…
Casey Anthony out of hiding: Smiling mom buys a new car one…
Sexy photo of Melania Trump pointing a gun in a thong and…
PIERS MORGAN: You’re 52-years-old, Johnny and it’s time to…
Saudi father shoots doctor shortly after he delivered his…
Man who kidnapped, raped and used a shock collar to control…
Comments (164)
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now