Why does food make it harder to get drunk? Understanding alcohol absorption
                                
                                
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                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                According to the National Institutes of Health, eating a meal that includes protein, fat, and carbohydrates can cause alcohol to be absorbed nearly three times more slowly than on an empty stomach. This significant effect explains why food makes it harder to get drunk, as a full stomach creates a traffic jam that drastically slows the rate at which alcohol enters your bloodstream.