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Why You Eat Everything When You’re Drunk, According to Science

If you’re a college student, I can almost guarantee you’ve experienced drunchies. Like, come on — who hasn’t drunk eaten anything from 50 piece chicken wings to an entire tub of hummus with carrots?

drunchies

Photo courtesy of loxabeauty.com

Guilty. And yes, healthy drunchies are a thing.

So what is the reason you suddenly want to eat everything in sight?

drunchies

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Well, it turns out that food actually does taste better when you’re drunk — and not just because you can’t really feel your tongue (or your face).

According to the Indiana University School of Medicine’s Departments of Medicine and Neurology, the brain responds more to the smell of food when you’re buzzed. Not surprisingly, the subjects who were dosed with alcohol ate more than those who were given the placebo.

Bottom line — there’s not really any way to prevent the drunchies.

drunchies

Meme courtesy of quickmeme.com

If want to avoid gaining the Freshman 15, a dad bod or just don’t want to scarf down a kebab, a bag of chips and a pack of Thin Mints, the best thing to do is to surround yourself with healthy food.

Because even if you’re a generally healthy person, being drunk lowers your inhibitions, making you more likely to indulge. Aka more likely to reach for that extra slice of pizza. And even worse? Being drunk also makes you crave foods you may not normally eat a lot of — foods high in salt and fat.

drunchies

GIF courtesy of tumblr.com

Solution? Don’t make those foods available. Or maybe just go the f*** to bed.

And if you find yourself hangry drunk at one, two or three A.M?

drunchies

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Well, let’s hope that pizza delivery guy comes quickly.

If there's avocados, I'm there.
Friendship requirement: sharing your food with me.
Paleo blogger, fitness enthusiast, eating disorder awareness advocate.