Drinking water to reduce alcohol craving? A randomized controlled study on the impact of ghrelin in mediating the effects of forced water intake in alcohol addiction.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 28822300 · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.08.005
What was done
In a randomized laboratory trial, 23 alcohol-dependent male inpatients underwent alcohol cue exposure. Immediately afterward, the intervention group drank 1,000 mL of mineral water within 10 minutes, while the control group received no water. Subjective alcohol craving and plasma concentrations of acetylated ghrelin were measured 10 times over the following 120 minutes.
What was found
The water intervention group showed a significant decrease in plasma acetylated ghrelin compared to controls, and this reduction correlated with a decrease in subjective craving. The control group showed no reduction in acetylated ghrelin and no association between ghrelin levels and craving. Specific numerical values, effect sizes, and p-values were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides mechanistic evidence that gastric distension from fluid intake can acutely suppress ghrelin secretion and reduce cue-induced alcohol craving, supporting the ghrelin pathway as a potential behavioral or pharmacological target in alcohol addiction.
Limits
The study was very small (n = 23), included only male inpatients, and measured only acute responses over 120 minutes in a laboratory setting rather than actual drinking behavior or long-term clinical recovery. Exact quantitative statistics were omitted from the abstract.
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