8 Myths and Truths About Drinking Alcohol
I did some rounds on the internet today trying to find as many myths about alcohol as I could. Let me be the first to say, there are a lot of them. Some are plausible, some even I thought were true; but most are ones that we grow up with thinking are true. Why? Because that's what adults had told us when we were young. They tried to keep us away from drinking, at least until we were old enough legally. Well some of us. It's not their fault though. They were just telling us what they were told or what they saw in movies.
For the past twenty years, many studies have been done, and have shown us that these original thoughts about alcohol consumption are just myth. There might still be some of these myths that you took for the truth down below. So read through these, and educate yourself and your friends.
Below is the most complete list you're going to find in regards to alcohol myths that would affect you, the drinker. I scoured the internet for hours finding these myths and debunking them. So read on and pay attention. They're going to surprise you.
(Editors note: As someone who has lost a best friend to alcoholism, these facts are not here to encourage drinking, only to educate you. I have also written an article on the dangers of drinking and alcoholism. Please read it as well.)
1. MYTH
Men and women of the same height and weight can drink the same.
FACT
Gender has nothing to do with getting more drunk or not. It's all about your body structure. Granted, it has been proven that people with a higher proportion of fat to lean muscle have a lower percentage of body water which gives the alcohol a stronger effect; and women tend to have slightly higher fat to lean muscle proportions.
Women are affected more rapidly because they tend to have a slightly higher proportion of fat to lean muscle tissue, thus concentrating alcohol a little more easily in their lower percentage of body water. They also have less of an enzyme (dehydrogenase) that metabolizes or breaks down alcohol, 9 and hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle might also affect alcohol absorption to some degree.
2. MYTH
Coffee, cold showers, workouts and food help to sober you up a lot faster.
FACT
I think this is a myth because you always see people in the movies drinking coffee to sober up or someone pushing another person into the shower and turning on the cold water.
3. MYTH
Drinking only beer instead of alcohol will not get you as drunk
FACT
While this seems to be proven true, the reality is that people who choose to drink "spirits" can ingest more and in a shorter amount of time. While someone who drinks a beer may take a considerable amount longer; with wine usually taking the longest to drink because a person most often takes their time and sips a glass of wine. There are also different feelings of drunkeness that come from drinking different types of alcohol. Which is another reason people feel that liquor gets them more drunk. Below you can see the different amount of alcohol, but these are all equal. So three shots of liquor will give you the same BAC (blood alcohol level) as three glasses of wine.
1. One can is 12 ounces of regular beer
2. A glass of wine is 5 ounces
3. A shot of liquor is one and a half ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits, either straight or in a mixed drink
4. MYTH
A beer belly is caused by drinking beer.
FACT
A "beer belly" is only caused by eating too much. However, alcohol has been known to slow down the fat burning process. This would lead people to think that alcohol is making them fatter. There are also myths that beer bellies are the result of a fatty or enlarged liver. "While excessive consumption of any alcohol can lead to fatty liver or even irreversible liver damage, this does not cause the fatty paunch associated with a beer belly. While being obese or overweight has its own health risks, neither is indicative of damage to the liver. - Global Oneness"
5. MYTH
Alcohol is the cause of alcoholism.
FACT
As a governmental alcohol agency has explained, "Alcohol no more causes alcoholism than sugar causes diabetes." The agency points out that if alcohol caused alcoholism then all drinkers would be alcoholics. In fact, a belief common among members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is that people are born alcoholic and are not caused to be alcoholic by alcohol or anything in their experience. They argue that many people are born and die alcoholic without ever having had a sip of alcohol. Of course, a person can't be a drinking or practicing alcoholic without alcohol.
6. MYTH
Beer before liquor, never been sicker; Liquor before beer, you're in the clear
TRUTH
The only fact this saying holds true to is that it rhymes. While some people will swear up and down that this is true, it holds no scientific fact. I myself can drink either way and feel just the same time after time. There could be many reasons for people feeling ill after drinking beer prior to liquor. My thought is that when people start with beer and are already intoxicated, they tend to drink liquor more irresponsibly. Thereby ingesting more liquor than they should. until they are eventually so sick that this rhyme applies to them. Also, when people start off drinking liquor, the are taking the amount of alcohol that they are comfortable with, and finish the night off slowly drinking beer. I say slowly, because the more drunk people get, the more they tend to not pay attention to their drinks. Which leads to less ingestion of the beer that they have in their hand....which is now a very warm beer.
7. MYTH
Alcohol makes sex better.
TRUTH
Alcohol does lower your inhibitions in a social situation and makes many things seem more enjoyable. However, the reality is that alcohol can actually keep men from getting or keeping an erection while helping lower a woman's sex drive. More importantly, alcohol can affect your decision-making ability. You might put yourself in a risky situation; you might think you're ready to have sex when you're not or you might forget to use a condom - which can result in pregnancy and/or contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
8. MYTH
When I drink too much, the worst thing that can happen is I pass out.
TRUTH
This is horribly untrue. When you drink alcohol in excess, it can lead to alcohol poisoning which can cause death. Also, drinking excessive alcohol can cause vomiting, which is the first signs of your body being poisoned. What people fail to realize, is that your body treats alcohol as a poison, which it is. Even at the first sip, your body is trying to rid yourself of that poison. The reason you get drunk, is because you are ingesting too much alcohol for your liver and kidneys to de-toxify. When drunk and unconscious, a person may inhale fluids that have been vomited, resulting in death by asphyxiation. Long-term, heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism), and can even cause a heart attack or stroke.
These are signs of alcohol poisoning:
So we've come to the end of the list that I made. I tried to find ones that affected people like you and me. There are a out of myths out there, but I believe these are the most common ones that can attribute to a better (and safer) drinking nightlife. Remember, you don't have to "get trashed" to have a good. So drink responsibly, and educate your friends about these common myths and the truths behind them.
For the past twenty years, many studies have been done, and have shown us that these original thoughts about alcohol consumption are just myth. There might still be some of these myths that you took for the truth down below. So read through these, and educate yourself and your friends.
Below is the most complete list you're going to find in regards to alcohol myths that would affect you, the drinker. I scoured the internet for hours finding these myths and debunking them. So read on and pay attention. They're going to surprise you.
(Editors note: As someone who has lost a best friend to alcoholism, these facts are not here to encourage drinking, only to educate you. I have also written an article on the dangers of drinking and alcoholism. Please read it as well.)
1. MYTH
Men and women of the same height and weight can drink the same.
FACT
Gender has nothing to do with getting more drunk or not. It's all about your body structure. Granted, it has been proven that people with a higher proportion of fat to lean muscle have a lower percentage of body water which gives the alcohol a stronger effect; and women tend to have slightly higher fat to lean muscle proportions.
Women are affected more rapidly because they tend to have a slightly higher proportion of fat to lean muscle tissue, thus concentrating alcohol a little more easily in their lower percentage of body water. They also have less of an enzyme (dehydrogenase) that metabolizes or breaks down alcohol, 9 and hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle might also affect alcohol absorption to some degree.
2. MYTH
Coffee, cold showers, workouts and food help to sober you up a lot faster.
FACT
I think this is a myth because you always see people in the movies drinking coffee to sober up or someone pushing another person into the shower and turning on the cold water.
- Although coffee tastes great the next morning, this myth has absolutely no backing. There is no way to sober up fast. The alcohol leaves your body at .015 BAC an hour.
- Cold showers may seem to work because the cold water restricts the blood flow. However, you will still be as drunk as you were, and you still have the same alcohol in your system, so you will actually take longer to sober up.
- Working out is just a really bad idea for so many reasons. Yes you would be sweating more and increasing your blood flow, it is very dangerous because you are already de-hydrated from drinking. This will cause your body to overheat. Heating your body up in this manner could do some serious damage to your internal organs. Plus, running drunk is just not a good idea.
3. MYTH
Drinking only beer instead of alcohol will not get you as drunk
FACT
While this seems to be proven true, the reality is that people who choose to drink "spirits" can ingest more and in a shorter amount of time. While someone who drinks a beer may take a considerable amount longer; with wine usually taking the longest to drink because a person most often takes their time and sips a glass of wine. There are also different feelings of drunkeness that come from drinking different types of alcohol. Which is another reason people feel that liquor gets them more drunk. Below you can see the different amount of alcohol, but these are all equal. So three shots of liquor will give you the same BAC (blood alcohol level) as three glasses of wine.
1. One can is 12 ounces of regular beer
2. A glass of wine is 5 ounces
3. A shot of liquor is one and a half ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits, either straight or in a mixed drink
4. MYTH
A beer belly is caused by drinking beer.
FACT
A "beer belly" is only caused by eating too much. However, alcohol has been known to slow down the fat burning process. This would lead people to think that alcohol is making them fatter. There are also myths that beer bellies are the result of a fatty or enlarged liver. "While excessive consumption of any alcohol can lead to fatty liver or even irreversible liver damage, this does not cause the fatty paunch associated with a beer belly. While being obese or overweight has its own health risks, neither is indicative of damage to the liver. - Global Oneness"
5. MYTH
Alcohol is the cause of alcoholism.
FACT
As a governmental alcohol agency has explained, "Alcohol no more causes alcoholism than sugar causes diabetes." The agency points out that if alcohol caused alcoholism then all drinkers would be alcoholics. In fact, a belief common among members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is that people are born alcoholic and are not caused to be alcoholic by alcohol or anything in their experience. They argue that many people are born and die alcoholic without ever having had a sip of alcohol. Of course, a person can't be a drinking or practicing alcoholic without alcohol.
6. MYTH
Beer before liquor, never been sicker; Liquor before beer, you're in the clear
TRUTH
The only fact this saying holds true to is that it rhymes. While some people will swear up and down that this is true, it holds no scientific fact. I myself can drink either way and feel just the same time after time. There could be many reasons for people feeling ill after drinking beer prior to liquor. My thought is that when people start with beer and are already intoxicated, they tend to drink liquor more irresponsibly. Thereby ingesting more liquor than they should. until they are eventually so sick that this rhyme applies to them. Also, when people start off drinking liquor, the are taking the amount of alcohol that they are comfortable with, and finish the night off slowly drinking beer. I say slowly, because the more drunk people get, the more they tend to not pay attention to their drinks. Which leads to less ingestion of the beer that they have in their hand....which is now a very warm beer.
7. MYTH
Alcohol makes sex better.
TRUTH
Alcohol does lower your inhibitions in a social situation and makes many things seem more enjoyable. However, the reality is that alcohol can actually keep men from getting or keeping an erection while helping lower a woman's sex drive. More importantly, alcohol can affect your decision-making ability. You might put yourself in a risky situation; you might think you're ready to have sex when you're not or you might forget to use a condom - which can result in pregnancy and/or contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
8. MYTH
When I drink too much, the worst thing that can happen is I pass out.
TRUTH
This is horribly untrue. When you drink alcohol in excess, it can lead to alcohol poisoning which can cause death. Also, drinking excessive alcohol can cause vomiting, which is the first signs of your body being poisoned. What people fail to realize, is that your body treats alcohol as a poison, which it is. Even at the first sip, your body is trying to rid yourself of that poison. The reason you get drunk, is because you are ingesting too much alcohol for your liver and kidneys to de-toxify. When drunk and unconscious, a person may inhale fluids that have been vomited, resulting in death by asphyxiation. Long-term, heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism), and can even cause a heart attack or stroke.
These are signs of alcohol poisoning:
- Mental confusion, stupor, coma, or person cannot be roused.
- Vomiting.
- Seizures.
- Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute).
- Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths).
- Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness.
So we've come to the end of the list that I made. I tried to find ones that affected people like you and me. There are a out of myths out there, but I believe these are the most common ones that can attribute to a better (and safer) drinking nightlife. Remember, you don't have to "get trashed" to have a good. So drink responsibly, and educate your friends about these common myths and the truths behind them.
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