Scientists confirm that people really do get drunker in the summer than winter

Daily Mail​

01-05-2025

It's the time of year characterised by longer days, warmer weather and plenty of beer gardens.
And there's nothing quite like enjoying a few refreshing drinks in the summer sun.
But they can – inevitably – come with questionable decisions and raging hangovers.
Now, experts have confirmed people really do get drunker in the summer than winter.
It could go some way to explaining why typical summer drinks – such as Aperol Spritzes and prosecco – hit you harder than those more commonly enjoyed in winter, such as red wine and hot toddies.
Nagoya University researchers in Japan set out to find whether alcohol tolerance and carbohydrate metabolism change with the seasons.
To test for changes in alcohol tolerance, the team reared mice under winter and summer conditions.
They found that mice reared under winter conditions recovered from alcohol intoxication more quickly.
'This result suggests that the body is more likely to become intoxicated in the summer,' Professor Takashi Yoshimura said.
'This was an interesting discovery as this may explain why the number of patients hospitalized for acute alcohol intoxication is higher in the summer in most countries.'
They also investigated more than 54,000 genes in 80 tissues in monkeys across one year.
The team specifically looked at rhesus monkeys – a primate closely related to humans.
They discovered an unexpected difference in how the male and female bodies dealt with carbohydrate metabolism throughout the year.
Although the monkeys were fed the same diet across the 12 months, the activity of genes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates peaked during winter and spring in the duodenum – the first part of the small intestine – of the female monkeys.
Increased carbohydrate metabolism in the duodenum is important for the body to extract the maximum amount of energy from scarce food in the winter months, which may explain why people often gain weight during this period, the team said.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, add further insight into how animals, including humans, have evolved a biological clock that is calibrated to the seasons.
Physiology and behaviour, including hormone secretion, metabolism, sleep, immune function, and reproduction, change depending on the time of year.
A recent study found that wild chimpanzees love getting drunk with their friends – in a similar way to humans do.
Scientists from the University of Exeter filmed wild chimpanzees eating and sharing fruit containing alcohol for the first time.
According to the experts, this suggests that alcohol may have benefits for social bonding in chimps - just like humans.
'For humans, we know that drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, and resulting feelings of happiness and relaxation,' explained Anna Bowland, an author of the study.
'We also know that sharing alcohol – including through traditions such as feasting – helps to form and strengthen social bonds.
'So – now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits – the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?'
WHAT TO EAT TO BEAT A HANGOVER
Forget the traditional morning-after fry-up: to survive alcohol's effects, you need to support your liver and digestive system long-term, experts say.
Fibre not only keeps your gut moving, it also binds onto toxins and escorts them out of the body, and is great for the liver. Eat kidney beans, brown rice, oats, rye, apples and plums.
Foods rich in antioxidants help liver detoxification and heal the gut wall. Plant sources include beetroot, berries, garlic, grapes, green tea, kale, onions, peppers, prunes, tomatoes and watercress.
Soothe an irritated stomach with mint tea or avocado. Alternatively, soak golden flax seeds and chia seeds overnight in enough water to cover them, then add them to smoothies or cereals — they produce a mucilage to coat and protect the gut wall.
Research has shown that the herb milk thistle (200–300mg daily) can be used to support liver health. Look for a blend at a health food shop, which might include other herbs such as dandelion and artichoke.
Other stomach-soothing and supportive supplements include turmeric as an anti-inflammatory, or the antioxidant glutathione, which helps to feed and heal gut cells.