Why Does Booze Make Us Want Greasy Food?

In the liquor drenched eyes of the typical boozehound, there is nothing more appealing than large portions of greasy, red meat smeared with all things bacon and cheese to help remedy one motherhumper of a hangover.

Scientists say that our lust for high-fat foods with a bottle of hard liquor in our gut dates back to the days of the caveman and is just a part of drunken, human nature.

“All mammals gravitate to eating the most energy-dense foods," said David Levitsky, professor of human ecology and nutritional sciences at Cornell University. "Fat is the most energy-dense food available." It is just that these cravings are easier to ignore when a person is sober, says Levitsky.

However, some scientists believe that our fiendish appetite for greasy foods after a date with the drink is caused by an increase in a brain chemical called galanin. "Galanin increases appetite for fats, and consumption of fat causes more galanin to be produced," says professor William Gruchow from the University of North Carolina. "Alcohol intake also results in increased galanin production."

Well, that explains why booze makes us chase after fatty foods. However, it doesn’t explain why it makes us go after the fatty women. Perhaps it's best if some things remain a mystery.