Tag: Food before drinking

Despite the persistent myth that eating a high-protein meal acts like a sponge to 'soak up' alcohol, the reality is far more nuanced and grounded in digestive science. The real effect involves a significant and beneficial delay in alcohol's journey through your digestive system, not its literal absorption by proteins.

According to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, eating food before drinking can significantly slow down the rate of intoxication because food in the stomach causes the pyloric valve to close, preventing alcohol from entering the small intestine where most absorption occurs. This helps manage your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and the effects of alcohol on the body.