The type of alcoholic drink you consume may have an impact on your desire for food, suggests an Australian study.
Dr. Anna Kokavec, a research psychologist at La Trobe University in Bendigo, found that the additional nutritional content of various alcoholic beverages influence the body`s reaction to alcohol, reports ABC Science.
The lead author, along with her team, measured the effect of red wine, white wine, light beer or regular beer on the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, which is responsible for the synthesis of the steroid hormones cortisol and dehyrdoepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS).
Kokavec said that DHEAS and cortisol, commonly known as a stress hormone, influence appetite, adding: "We need a sufficient release of cortisol to make us feel hungry."
She found that cortisol levels went down in participants after the consumption of alcohol, and decreased their appetite despite having fasted for half a day.
But DHEAS levels varied depending on what type of alcohol was consumed.
The DHEAS levels initially took a dip for those who took beer before going up, resulting in an eventual increase in hunger.
Kokavec said: "Beer completely confuses the system."
Consumption of red wine was also observed to have led to an increased appetite.
But, unlike beer and red wine, white wine completely switched off the HPA axis, indicating hunger remained low.
The study has been published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour.
ANI