Study in rats finds low blood alcohol levels have no effect on total calories consumed
"I was looking at whether alcohol intake affects overall caloric intake and body weight change," said University of Illinois psychology professor Nu-Chu Liang, who led the research. "And the result, in terms of voluntary drinking, is that it does not -- at least in rats." When the researchers dosed the rats with higher levels of alcohol through injections in an effort to mimic the effects of binge drinking, however, the results were very different. At blood alcohol levels that correspond to intoxication in humans (0.08 percent and higher), the rats ate significantly fewer calories and began to lose weight. This is the first study to show a direct link between blood alcohol levels and feeding behavior in rats. Liang thinks rats make better models o f human feeding behaviors t han mice because rats are bigger mammals and eat significantly more than mice, making it easier to measure their food intake. Their feeding patterns and related brain circuits also are m...