Why does alcohol make you want bad food?

December 11, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2017 study published in Nature Communications, alcohol activates the same brain neurons that are triggered by starvation, explaining why alcohol can make you want bad food. This powerful effect is rooted in a complex interplay of hormonal shifts, neurological changes, and impaired decision-making that influences our food choices.

Quick Summary

This article explores the biological and psychological factors behind alcohol-induced junk food cravings. It details how alcohol disrupts appetite-regulating hormones, impacts brain function, and lowers inhibitions, leading to poor food choices.

Key Points

Brain Activation: Alcohol activates the same brain neurons (Agrp) that signal intense hunger during starvation, triggering powerful food cravings.
Hormone Disruption: It suppresses the satiety hormone leptin and may increase the hunger hormone ghrelin, making you feel less full and more hungry.
Impaired Judgment: Alcohol lowers inhibitions and impairs the prefrontal cortex, reducing your willpower and ability to make healthy, rational food choices.
Blood Sugar Drop: Drinking can cause low blood sugar, which triggers cravings for high-calorie, sugary, and fatty foods to provide a quick energy boost.
Galanin Production: Alcohol and fat consumption both increase galanin production, a chemical that specifically drives cravings for fatty foods, creating a cyclical demand.
Greasy Food Myth: The idea that greasy food soaks up alcohol is a myth; these foods can actually worsen your hangover and put more strain on your digestive system.
Pre-emptive Planning: Eating a balanced meal before drinking, staying hydrated, and preparing healthy snacks in advance are effective strategies to mitigate cravings.

The Brain's Starvation Signal

One of the most surprising reasons behind the "drunchies" phenomenon is how alcohol tricks the brain into a state of intense hunger. In a study on mice, researchers at the Francis Crick Institute found that alcohol boosts the activity of Agrp neurons in the hypothalamus, which typically signal extreme hunger during starvation. This means even though alcohol is calorie-dense, the body is fooled into thinking it needs more food, driving a strong urge to eat. This is a key reason why does alcohol make you want bad food.

The Role of Appetite-Regulating Hormones

Alcohol significantly interferes with the body's hormonal balance, specifically targeting hormones that control appetite and satiety. This disruption is a critical piece of the puzzle.

Leptin and Ghrelin

Leptin: Often called the "satiety hormone," leptin signals to the brain when you are full and should stop eating. Alcohol has been shown to inhibit leptin secretion, suppressing the feeling of fullness and making you prone to overeating.
Ghrelin: Known as the "hunger hormone," ghrelin stimulates appetite. Some research suggests that alcohol can increase ghrelin levels, further amplifying your desire to eat. The dual effect of lowered leptin and potentially heightened ghrelin creates a powerful drive to consume food.

Galanin and Fatty Food Cravings

Research has also identified galanin, a neuropeptide that increases the appetite for fats, as a contributing factor. Alcohol intake increases galanin production, and consuming fat causes even more galanin to be produced, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of craving and consumption. This helps explain why the cravings so often settle on greasy, fatty options like pizza and burgers.

The Impact on Decision-Making and Inhibitions

Alcohol is known for its disinhibiting effects, which directly impacts our food choices. It slows down the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for judgment, impulse control, and considering consequences.

Lowered Willpower: With inhibitions reduced, the mental effort required to make healthy decisions diminishes. The internal conflict between eating healthy and indulging is largely removed, making it much easier to give in to unhealthy cravings.
Increased Impulsivity: Alcohol draws focus to the present moment, suspending the ability to consider long-term consequences. This shift towards immediate gratification makes impulsive food choices more likely.

The Blood Sugar Factor

Drinking alcohol can cause a drop in blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar is low, your body craves a quick energy boost. High-fat and high-sugar foods provide this quick burst of energy, which is why they become so appealing. Your liver's ability to release stored glucose is impaired by alcohol, further disrupting the body's stable blood sugar maintenance.

Greasy Food vs. Healthy Food: A Comparison


Aspect	Greasy, High-Sodium Foods	Healthier, Balanced Foods
Effect on Alcohol Metabolism	Myth: Doesn't "sop up" alcohol. Can make hangover worse by making the body work harder to digest both substances.	Fact: Eating nutritious food can help boost the rate your body metabolizes alcohol.
Satiety Signals	Can make you feel temporarily full, but the hormonal disruption from alcohol is still at play.	Provides sustained energy and nutrients, counteracting alcohol's effects and helping you feel fuller longer.
Nutritional Value	Often provides empty calories with minimal vitamins or minerals, exacerbating nutrient deficiencies caused by alcohol.	Offers essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which help support the body's recovery process.
Digestion	High-fat, high-sodium content can be hard on the digestive system, especially when combined with alcohol, which can cause stomach inflammation.	Easier for the body to digest, supporting liver function and reducing overall digestive stress.
Long-Term Health	Contributes to weight gain, high blood pressure, and other serious health risks when done regularly.	Supports overall health and well-being, mitigating some negative impacts of alcohol consumption.

How to Curb Alcohol-Induced Cravings

It is possible to manage or reduce the impact of alcohol on your food choices. Here are some strategies:

Eat a balanced meal beforehand: Consuming a nutritious meal with protein, fiber, and healthy fats before drinking helps slow alcohol absorption and makes you feel more satiated.
Hydrate throughout: Alternating alcoholic drinks with water can help you pace yourself, prevent dehydration, and make you feel fuller, which reduces the urge to snack.
Prepare healthy options: Anticipate the cravings and have healthy, appealing snacks on hand, like hummus and veggies or air-popped popcorn.
Be realistic: Acknowledge that drinking will increase your predisposition to make poor food choices. Accepting this reality can empower you to make more mindful decisions about your alcohol consumption.

Conclusion

The seemingly simple desire for bad food after drinking is, in fact, a complex biological and psychological response. It's not just a lack of willpower, but a cascade of effects involving hormonal interference, neurological signals mimicking starvation, and impaired judgment. By understanding the science behind why alcohol makes you want bad food, individuals can better anticipate these cravings and implement strategies to make healthier choices, protecting their overall health and well-being. Knowing the "why" behind the "what" is the first step toward reclaiming control over your late-night food decisions.

Visit this link for more information on the intricate relationship between alcohol and food cravings from a reputable source.

Frequently Asked Questions

The craving for greasy food is caused by alcohol activating hunger signals in the brain and disrupting hormones like leptin and ghrelin. Specifically, the production of galanin, a neuropeptide that increases the appetite for fats, is stimulated by both alcohol and fat intake, creating a feedback loop that intensifies cravings for fatty items.

No, this is a common myth. While eating beforehand can help slow alcohol absorption, consuming greasy, high-fat food after drinking does not 'sop up' alcohol. In fact, it can make you feel worse the next morning as your body struggles to digest both the alcohol and the high-fat content.

To avoid junk food cravings, eat a nutritious, balanced meal before you start drinking. Hydrate by alternating alcoholic drinks with water, and prepare some healthy snacks, like vegetables and hummus or fruit, to have on hand for when cravings strike.

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that affects the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for judgment and impulse control. When this area is suppressed, your inhibitions are lowered, leading to less mindful decision-making, including poor food choices.

Drinking alcohol can cause your blood sugar levels to drop. When this happens, your body signals a need for a quick source of energy, often leading to intense cravings for sugary and high-carb foods to compensate.

Yes, research has shown that alcohol can stimulate Agrp neurons in the hypothalamus, which are the same neurons activated during starvation to signal intense hunger. This tricks the brain into wanting more food, even when you've already consumed a significant number of calories from alcohol.

Yes, 'drunchies,' or the drunk munchies, are a real phenomenon with a solid biological basis. It is caused by the combined effects of hormonal disruption, altered brain signaling, lowered inhibitions, and changes in blood sugar that all work together to create strong cravings for food.