It’s easy to think of the stomach as a reservoir where everything goes and that is more or less correct, so it would stand to reason that if you had a bunch of alcohol in there it would help to eat something before bed to help “soak it up.”
Hitting the sausage cart right after leaving the bar and sucking down a few loaded kielbasas may actually feel (and taste) great, but it’s not going to help ease an impending hangover. Food has to be eaten before the drinking begins if it is to be effective in “absorbing” alcohol.
In fact, to say that food soaks up alcohol is actually a bit misleading. When food is eaten first it helps keep you sober in two ways. First, it coats the stomach and so slows its absorption of alcohol and second, it takes the place of alcohol in the digestion rotation. The food really doesn’t soak up anything. The human body can only process so much, and when it’s working on absorbing a plate of nachos the booze just has to get in line.
All things considered, though, eating before bed after a night of revelry isn’t going to hurt anything – aside from your waistline. So, feel free to devour that greasy New York slice, just don’t expect it to keep the next day’s pain away.
Of course, I should remind everyone that our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, you should work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. If you’re going to drink, do it legally and responsibly; don’t be stupid =).
