I have a problem with my brakes when it comes to alcohol. I rarely drink, but when I do I don't stop. This is fine for the most part but if I am at an event where I'm expected to remain socially coherent, I need to do everything I can to make it to closing time before my fiance is holding my hair back. There are many home remedies, but only one that is scientifically proven - eating a greasy meal before drinking.
The limiting step in absorbing alcohol is gastric emptying, or how fast alcohol leaves your stomach. The majority of alcohol absorption occurs in your small intestine, which if you are not anatomically inclined is just down the road from your stomach. Once liquor gets here its fast-tracked to the blood stream. Therefore, the longer you can keep that shot of tequila in your belly, the longer you have to break down whatever you drank that made you think tequila was a good idea.
Greasy food is better than anything at slowing gastric emptying for the simple fact that fats are difficult to break down. When a cheeseburger hits your duodenum, a sort-of pouch where fat digestion takes place, a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) is released. CCK does two things: it signals the pancreas and gallbladder to release more enzymes to help dissolve the fat, and it tells the stomach "Slow down for a bit, I have my hands full here." The stomach's sphincter tightens up and presto, the flow of alcohol slows to a trickle.
As most people intuitively know, the reverse of this method is also true. If you go drinking without eating, the stomach is a wide open pipe and alcohol is going to be absorbed super fast. The trick to avoiding this situation is eat your meal twenty minutes before you plan on imbibing, to give the food time to start to digest.
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