Effect of high-fat, high-protein, and high-carbohydrate meals on the pharmacokinetics of a small dose of ethanol.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized cross-over trial in humans
PubMed 9431825 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1997.t01-1-00620.x
What was done
Nine healthy men participated in a randomized cross-over trial to assess how meal macronutrient composition affects alcohol pharmacokinetics. On five separate occasions, each subject received a low dose of ethanol (0.30 g/kg body weight): either within 15 minutes of finishing an isocaloric, equal-volume standardized breakfast high in fat, carbohydrate (CHO), or protein; orally after an overnight fast; or via a 30-minute intravenous infusion. Blood-ethanol concentrations and areas under the concentration-time curves (AUC) were measured.
What was found
Peak blood-alcohol concentrations (BAC) were 16.6 ± 4.0 mg/dl after the fat-rich meal, 17.7 ± 7.1 mg/dl after the CHO-rich meal, 13.3 ± 4.0 mg/dl after the protein-rich meal, 30.8 ± 4.3 mg/dl when fasting, and 54.3 ± 6.4 mg/dl after IV infusion (mean ± SD). The corresponding AUC values were 1767 ± 549, 1619 ± 760, and 1270 ± 406 mg/dl·min for fat-, CHO-, and protein-rich meals, compared with 3210 ± 527 mg/dl·min (fasting) and 4786 ± 446 mg/dl·min (IV). Total blood ethanol elimination time was 1 to 2 hours shorter in the fed state compared to fasting.
Why it matters
Eating a meal prior to alcohol intake cuts peak blood alcohol concentrations roughly in half and markedly reduces systemic bioavailability, an effect driven by the presence of food rather than major differences in macronutrient composition.
Limits
The study was very small (n = 9) and conducted exclusively in healthy men. It examined only a single small dose of ethanol (0.30 g/kg), and the abstract does not report p-values or formal statistical comparisons between the three macronutrient conditions.
Cited by
- supports High-fat, high-carbohydrate, and high-protein meals are equally effective at slowing gastric emptying when consuming alcohol.