Study adds weight to ‘apéritif effect’

Alcohol sensitises the brain to aromas and increases food intake among women, claim scientists who have been shedding further light on the “apéritif phenomenon”.

Italy’s classic apéritif, the Aperol Spritz

The study, carried out by the Indiana University School of Medicine’s Departments of Medicine and Neurology, was the first of its kind to measure the brain’s role in moderating calorie intake, testing the effects of alcohol among women.

Research showed that exposure to alcohol among women sensitises the brain’s response to food aromas and increases their calorific intake, adding weight to the “apéritif” effect.

“Our study found that alcohol exposure can both increase the brain’s sensitivity to external food cues, like aromas, and result in greater food consumption,” said Dr William Eiler who led the study.

“Many alcoholic beverages already include empty calories, and when you combine those calories with the apéritif effect, it can lead to energy imbalance and possibly weight gain.”

As part of the study a total of 35 women were each given alcohol intravenously on one visit and a placebo (saline) on another. After each visit the women were offered a lunch choice between pasta with Italian meat sauce and beef and noodles. Women were seen to eat more food at lunch, on average, compared to when they were given the placebo.

Furthermore, the hypothalamus responded more to food odours following alcohol intake compared to the saline solution.

“This research helps us to further understand the neural pathways involved in the relationship between food consumption and alcohol,” said Martin Binks, associate professor of nutrition sciences at Texas Tech University.

“Often, the relationship between alcohol on eating is oversimplified; this study unveils a potentially more complex process in need of further study.”

The research was published in the July issue of Obesity by The Obesity Society.