Dr Karl: Why you feel hungry after drinking alcohol

Australian scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki has detailed why a drunken night out can leave you feeling hungry. 

The 74-year-old is known for sharing lesser-known scientific facts about a range of topics – from what’s inside a teabag to why you shouldn’t eat grapefruit while on medication.

In a TikTok video, the beloved boffin said you might get a case of ‘drunken munchies’ if you’ve had too much alcohol for one particular reason regarding neurons in the brain.

‘We’ve known for a long time that a little bit to drink before a meal will increase your hunger – it’s called an apéritif and comes from a Latin meaning “to open the stomach”,’ he said.

This occurs because the booze stimulates the AgRP (Agouti-related peptide) neurons in the brain that ‘deal with hunger’, making you feel hungry.

Knowing this, the best way to eat less after a night out is to drink less – or not drink too much all at once.  

‘We’ve known for a long time that a little bit to drink before a meal will increase your hunger – it’s called an apéritif and comes from a Latin meaning “to open the stomach”,’ he said. This occurs because the booze stimulates the AgRP (Agouti-related peptide) neurons in the brain that ‘deal with hunger’, making you feel hungry (stock image)

Dr Karl referenced a study by Nature Communications titled ‘AgRP neuron activity is required for alcohol-induced overeating’, which details how your brain thinks it needs food after drinking. The research addressed how this is of concern as it can lead to overeating and weight gain

Dr Karl referenced a study by Nature Communications titled ‘AgRP neuron activity is required for alcohol-induced overeating’, which details how your brain thinks it needs food after drinking. 

The researched examined the brains of mice and found and found the AgRP neuron – found in both mice and humans – are activated when drunk. 

‘Although ethanol (EtOH, the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages) is the second most calorie-dense nutrient after fat, it stimulates rather than inhibits eating,’ the study read. 

The research addressed how this is of concern as it can lead to overeating and weight gain. 

Other TikTok users were intrigued and wanted to know more, with one fan asking: ‘Does anything else stimulate the AgRP neurons?’

To which Dr Karl said: ‘Yes, normal hunger/satiety signals plus lots of stuff that we don’t know about – yet.’

He also admitted he ‘doesn’t fully understand why’ drunken munchies feel ‘more intense’ than regular munchies.