Is the metabolism of toast alcohol beverages influenced by a meal taken five minutes later?

ABSTRACT

Alcohol is commonly consumed with, or soon after, a meal that affects gastric emptying and thus, absorption and metabolism of alcohol. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of liquid test meal ingested soon after, alcohol ingestion on alcohol metabolism, as is common in the social setting. First, a 100 mL of water containing of 80 mg of 13C-ethanol was administrated orally in 7 healthy subjects, and 200 mL of liquid meal (200 kcal) was administrated 5 min after alcohol ingestion. Breath samples were taken at baseline and at 10-min interval for 150 min. Next, 13C-ethanol breath test was performed without ingestion of liquid meal. Cmax was decreased after ingestion of liquid meal, whereas Tmax was unchanged. The descending gradient of 13CO2 excretion curves after ingestion of liquid meal is parallel to that without liquid meal, while the ascending gradient of 13CO2 excretion curves in the first 10 min had a tendency to be greater after ingestion of liquid meal than without ingestion of liquid meal. A significant delay in breath 13CO2 excretion after ingestion of liquid meal was found and the AUC values were lower after ingestion of liquid meal in each time point, indicating that liquid meal ingested soon after alcohol ingestion may not affect elimination but absorption and/or metabolism of a small amount of alcohol.