Happy Hour Cravings!

Ever wonder why Happy Hour drinks always seems to make people crave Happy Hour FOOD?

Well, there are two reasons…

First, alcohol makes junk food taste amazing. No one drinking has ever craved a salad, and there’s a reason. A study by Perdue University found that alcohol enhances the taste of salt and fat, which is why pizza tastes so good after a night of celebrating.

In another study, researchers at Indiana University hooked people up to MRI machines – to measure their brain responses. Then, they administered small doses alcohol to see how they’d respond. The result? Alcohol stimulates the brain area that regulates our sensitivity to food “cues” – from the sight of a juicy hamburger, to the scent of French fries. And time and time again, people became MORE sensitive to food after being given alcohol.

In other words: Alcohol tells our brain to eat, because that plate of nachos smells so good! In fact, that effect is so common, researchers have a name for it: The “aperitif effect.”

So, the bottom line is: Not only does alcohol make junk food taste better, it makes us more susceptible to the sight and smell of it, too.