Evidence Based
Most people gain weight during the holidays, and alcohol often plays a bigger role in this than you might think.
Alcohol itself isn’t fattening, but one of the ways it indirectly encourages fat gain is by lowering your inhibitions and impairing your decision-making, which can lead you to overeat.
Research published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods suggests a simple way to sidestep this problem: eat a high-protein, high-fiber snack before drinking.
We’ve long known that eating before boozing slows alcohol absorption, with large meals being more effective than small ones. But this study uncovers a surprising twist: some snacks are more effective at reducing alcohol absorption than others.
In the study, 21 people drank a vodka-tonic cocktail after consuming one of the following:
- Nothing
- A protein bar (20 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 210 calories)
- A savory snack (~3 grams of protein, ~1 gram of fiber, 210 calories)
- A mixed meal (22 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fiber, 635 calories)
Blood tests showed that eating anything before drinking reduced blood alcohol levels. Larger meals slowed alcohol absorption the most, but per calorie, the protein bar was the clear winner.
Every 100 calories of the protein bar reduced alcohol absorption by ~21%, compared to ~11% for the savory snack or mixed meal.
Here’s how to use this research to your advantage this New Year’s:
If you’re heading to a party where alcohol and calorie-dense foods are on the menu, eating a high-protein, high-fiber snack beforehand could help. As well as reducing alcohol’s effects, it’ll make you less likely to overindulge in food—without requiring a huge meal.
Your snack doesn’t have to be a protein bar. A serving of Skyr with berries, for instance, would work just as well. That said, a protein bar is quicker and more convenient when things get hectic.
And if you’re looking for a high-quality option, Legion’s protein bars pack 20 grams of protein and 9 grams of prebiotic fiber per serving.
Scientific References +
- Fisher, Joseph M., et al. “Effect of a Snack Bar Optimized to Reduce Alcohol Bioavailability: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial in Healthy Individuals.” Journal of Medicinal Food, vol. 23, no. 4, 1 Apr. 2020, pp. 432–439, https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2019.0228. Accessed 8 Sept. 2020.
- Holt, S. “Observations on the Relation between Alcohol Absorption and the Rate of Gastric Emptying.” Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 124, no. 3, Feb. 1981, p. 267, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1705129/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
- Doran, S., et al. “Effects of Meal Volume and Posture on Gastric Emptying of Solids and Appetite.” The American Journal of Physiology, vol. 275, no. 5, 1 Nov. 1998, pp. R1712-1718, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9791094/, https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1998.275.5.R1712.
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Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $299.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We’re also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
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