A recent study indicates that reflecting on past drinking experiences can deter women from overindulging in alcohol.
Investigators examining how memory influences alcohol intake believe it may assist individuals in consuming less alcohol.
Previous studies have shown that people tend to eat less food when they are reminded of a previous meal just before starting to eat again. The latest research, spearheaded by the University of Portsmouth, aimed to delve deeper into the connection between memory and alcohol consumption.
The research involved 50 women aged between 18 and 46, who were randomly divided into two groups. One group was instructed to vividly recall a recent drinking episode, while the other was asked to remember a car ride as a control. After this, participants were invited to drink a vodka-based beverage at a comfortable pace.
To create a more authentic setting and divert any thoughts that their drinking speed was being monitored, participants watched a neutral mood television program while consuming their drinks.
The results indicated that those who were asked to remember a prior drinking experience took longer to finish their drink, implying a decreased desire for alcohol.
Dr. Lorenzo Stafford, a multisensory researcher at the University of Portsmouth’s School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences, noted, “Building on past research, we believe a significant factor in the observed behavior was that individuals in the alcohol memory cue group had to estimate the quantity of alcohol calories they had consumed.”
“Our hypothesis suggests that women may exhibit less desire for alcohol due to a goal of avoiding excess calorie intake. This might relate to findings showing that women are more likely to alter their drinking habits due to being more aware of the health risks and weight implications of alcohol consumption.”
Alcohol ranks among the most commonly consumed substances, with around 2.3 billion people worldwide drinking it, which is associated with about 5% of global mortality.
Still, it is estimated that over one-quarter (28%) of drinkers in England exceed the advised limit of 14 units per week.
The study also revealed that those who drink frequently—categorized as high risk—tended to consume alcohol more quickly compared to those in the low-risk group. The researchers concluded that the rate of consumption serves as a reliable indicator of one’s motivation to drink.
In two related studies, Dr. Stafford and his team discovered that impactful health warning labels on alcoholic beverages also diminished the desire for alcohol and slowed down drinking rates. Although these methods proved to be more effective than memory cues, both strategies could potentially play a role in preventing excessive alcohol intake.
The research paper, published in Food Quality and Preference, suggests that more studies are needed to explore the effects of alcohol-related memory in men, particularly since men generally consume more alcohol than women and face a higher risk.
