Final answer:
The rate of alcohol absorption by the body is primarily controlled by biological factors such as the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver and can be affected by chronic heavy drinking through the MEOS system. No specific item is identified as increasing the absorption rate directly, but alcohol consumption can favor iron absorption.
Step-by-step explanation:
The item that increases the rate of absorption of alcohol by the body is a variable that is not typically defined as a singular item but instead can be influenced by different factors. For instance, the presence of food in the stomach can slow down the absorption rate of alcohol. When considering substances that directly affect the absorption rate, the text implies that iron absorption is favored by alcohol ingestion, but that does not necessarily correlate with the rate of alcohol absorption. The metabolism of alcohol, as described in the text, is mainly influenced by the amount of alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver and can be increased over time with chronic heavy drinking via upregulation of the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS). Drinking on an empty stomach or consuming alcohol along with certain carbonated beverages may also increase the rate at which alcohol is absorbed.