Food - Drink
What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Alcohol On An Empty Stomach
By Cyrena Gourdeau
Humans have been partaking in alcohol for thousands of years, one of the oldest breweries being 13,000 years old (via the American Association for the Advancement of Science). However, a tradition almost as old is that of having something to eat with your alcoholic beverage and there is a reason for this.
To help understand why the tradition of eating before drinking has been around for so long, it helps to understand how your body absorbs alcohol. A small percentage will be absorbed in your mouth, then 20% will be absorbed in the stomach, and your small intestine will do the lion’s share of the absorption at 75-80%.
Every person will absorb alcohol at different rates depending on size, age, and even gender. Although, drinking on an empty stomach is a shortcut to overdoing it for any person as when you drink on an empty stomach the alcohol takes a shortcut to the small intestine which then gets to your bloodstream quicker which intensifies the effects of the alcohol.