Alcohol Many people enjoy wine with a meal as it cleans the palate between mouthfuls, and a glass of fortified wine such as sherry is even called a ‘digestif’ – served with the intention of helping with digestion after a meal.
This new research, from the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, tested 20 healthy volunteers by having them drank either wine or black tea with a meal of cheese fondue, followed by a glass of cherry liqueur or water one and a half hours later.
The researchers tested the study participants on two separate occasions at least one week apart, analysing their digestive process, and doing breath tests to assess how alcohol consumption affects that process.
What they found was that drinking alcohol was not linked with any unpleasant digestive side-effects, but that the digestive process took longer in those study participants who had drunk alcohol. "Cheese contains quite a lot of fat and so can be difficult to digest, especially in large quantities," says registered nutritionist Carina Norris, author of The Food Manual.
"The key to preventing stomach problems such as bloating, heartburn and burping after a meal is to go easy – graze rather than gobble up your dinner in one sitting. It’ll make the festivities last longer too!"
First published December 21, 2010