Don’t judge me. We have all overindulged after a night on the drink. Source: News Limited

As you finish your large double quarter pounder meal with a side of nuggets, an extra cheeseburger and Sundae, you are instantly filled with self-loathing.

But, this pity is not necessary because there is a scientific explanation as to why our brains make us crave food after a night on the sauce.

Dr William Eiler from Indiana University School of Medicine’s Departments of Medicine and Neurology said the brain can play a vital role in regulating our food consumption, after a limited study on the affects of alcohol on women.

“Our study found that alcohol exposure can both increase the brain’s sensitivity to external food cues, like aromas, and result in greater food consumption,” he said.

“Many alcoholic beverages already include empty calories, and when you combine those calories with the aperitif effect, it can lead to energy imbalance and possibly weight gain.”

I am serious, Bob. We are really going to need to hit the kebab store after these wines. Source: News Corp Australia

For the purpose of the study, 35 non-vegetarian, nonsmoking women at a healthy weight were selected as participants, in research published in the Obesity Society.

They were then analysed over two different visits.

On the first, they were administered alcohol intravenously to circumvented the digestive system and on the second, they were administered a placebo saline solution.

It was quickly established the brains of women who were administered with the intravenous alcohol were more responsive to food cues and ate more at lunch.

Associate Professor of Nutrition Sciences at Texas Tech University Martin Binks said even though the study helped give further understanding about the relationship between food consumption and alcohol, it only scraped the surface.

“Often, the relationship between alcohol on eating is oversimplified; this study unveils a potentially more complex process in need of further study,” he said.

“Today, nearly two-thirds of adults in the US consume alcohol, with wine consumption rising, which reinforces the need to better understand how alcohol can contribute to overeating,”

The findings of the study will be published in the forthcoming issue of medical journal Obesity.

Just how bad are our favourite fast food options?