Do âDigestifâ Drinks on the Dessert Menu Actually Help With Digestion?
Thereâs a reason why fancy restaurants tend to offer alcoholic drinks like Amaro, Sambuca, sherry, or port with the dessert menu: Traditionally, the liqueursâoften labeled as âdigestifsââhave been used to stimulate digestion, especially after a rich meal. But do digestifs (aka after-meal drinks) actually help with digestion? Especially in Europe, people have been enjoying digestifs for hundreds of years. âTypically offered in small portions, up to 1 to 2 ounces max, they are thought to help the body meet the digestive demands of a large meal,â Danielle VenHuizen, RD, a Seattle-based dietitian who focuses on gut health, tells Well+Good. Though thereâs not a *ton* of research to back this up, itâs possible that some types of after-dinner drinks might help your GI tract process a meal. Below are some caveats you also should consider. Do âdigestifsâ help with digestion? First things first: Your…