Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Science Says Drinking More Alcohol Will Make You Less Tired, Fuel Your Brain
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 9, 2013
Modified Mar 9, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 9, 2013
Modified Mar 9, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Well, here's a perfect story to pre-game by: a new study claims that drinking heavily will actually boost your energy, which will probably come as a surprise to you if you ended up passed out at the 1st Ave L stop last night.
The study, which was conducted by the Journal of Clinical Investigation, found that drinking heavily will increase the levels of acetate in your brain, which can work as a sugar substitute in your bloodstream and translate into energy. The more you drink in a week, the more energy you'll have, according to the study (plus you'll live longer!) so it looks like taking all that caffeine out of 4Loko was pretty pointless, huh?
Of course, the study's findings don't suggest that alcohol itself will energize you, just that drinking more over a long period of time might give you an extra energy source to tap into when you're drained, so maybe don't start replacing your coffee with Jim Beam quite yet. Up next for science? Researchers say they plan to see if substituting alcohol with acetate could help alcoholics kick their addiction.
Tagged
alcohol
booze
brain juice
drinking
science
sweet lies
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 1:31 p.m. ET
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .