dealing with fatty food

Question
QUESTION: Does drinking alchohol after eating fatty foot lessen the amount of fatty substances to the body ?
like drinking vodka right after Mc donalds,beacon and sausage.

ANSWER: Hi Jason! I hope I understand and can answer what you are asking. Foods move through the digestive tract at different rates. Alcohol is absorbed very quickly, while fat is the slowest to be absorbed. The body's main focus when alcohol is present is to metabolize the alcohol and rid the body of what it recognizes as a poison. Studies have shown alcohol will be absorbed less quickly when fat is present. Studies also show the presence of alcohol decreases the need for using fat as fuel for hours after drinking, so almost all the fat is stored in the body. Excess calories the body doesn't use from the alcohol is also stored as fat. As if all that stored fat weren't enough, alcoholics have higher levels of cholesterol and even light drinkers have higher levels of triglycerides in their blood than non-drinkers. One fat benefit of alcohol is drinkers also have higher levels of "good" cholesterol. So, that is probably more than you wanted to know. If you have vodka after your McDonalds bacon and sausage (which is only served till 10:30am, but I won't even ask...) you will have more fatty substances in your blood and store more of the fat than if you hadn't had the vodka.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I was meaning if alcohol would help dissolve the fat in my stomach and digest better. I have a better feeling when I do this after fatty food (in my stomach I mean), though I usually don't ask for it myself either and maybe one reason french people have wine with their lunch...
I recently started smoking but now quit it, if you have any advise on that I'd appreciate too...
Thanks

Answer
The alcohol isn't dissolving the fat. It may make you feel better because of the hormones released when you drink alcohol. The alcohol also slows the absorption of fat, which may help you if you have slight fat absorption issues. Many people find fat helps them feel better after drinking alcohol, it seems you have found the opposite beneficial. As for quitting smoking, congratulations! I worked in a health education resource center for awhile, so I remember a few tips the smoking cessation expert used to provide. Smoking has a lot of mental components, often wanting to smoke is triggered by something: sex, drinking, a 10 o'clock work break. If still smoking, you can keep a journal of when you smoke for a few days, if you've quit you can write down when you feel like smoking. Then avoid/change those activities or find something new to did in those times. You can also smoke with the opposite hand, find someone to keep your cigarettes for you so you have to ask for them, or get rid of all of your lighters so you have to ask to light a cigarette.  What most people miss is having something to do with their hands, so we used to give out stress balls and rubber bands. As for the mouth aspect, many people use gum or chew on pens/pencils. Some states have toll free numbers to call fir support when you are trying to quit and feel like lighting up. Good luck!

1. Prev:Co2 retention potassium
2. Next:Over efficient carbohydrate metabolism?