Myths About Alcohol
Alcohol can be good or bad, simply depending on the way and quantity in which it is consumed. Some people drink due to habit, some drink when they are depressed, while others drink to celebrate. While drinking in limited quantities is actually beneficial, excessive drinking can be dangerous, and sometimes fatal too. Now there are numerous myths about alcohol. Some people genuinely believe in these myths, and many others are actually ignorant about the truth. So here I am going to clear all doubts, and tell you the facts and the myths about alcohol consumption.
Myth I: Alcohol Affects Everyone the Same
Alcohol works differently on different individuals. If two people drink the same amount of the same alcoholic beverage, both will be affected differently. Numerous factors come into play, like each person’s capacity, body weight, chemistry of one’s body, mental balance and strength, etc. So if you see you pal drinking away and still behaving, it is not necessary that you can do the same.
Myth II: Mixing Drinks Makes You More Drunk
This is a widely believed myth. The actual truth is different. Neither mixing drinks, nor having different drinks one after another makes you more drunk. The factor that actually decides how drunk you become is the quantity that you consume. So it is like, if you have two different drinks one after each other, you are less likely to get high, as compared to having 5 pegs of the same drink.
Myth III: Coffee Will Sober You
This is another myth that is globally believed to be true. The actual fact is that either having a nice hot cup of coffee, or having a hot shower after drinking, doesn’t actually sober you down. You are still equally drunk, but just wide awake. Only the passing of a few hours will sober you down, and nothing else.
Myth IV: Alcohol is an Anti-depressant
This is absolutely false. For all of you who think you can drink and drown your sorrows, this is not the way. Alcohol is actually a depressant. It lessens your capacity to reason and judge. Besides making you feel sleepy and all drowsy, it actually slows you down and controls the way you think and behave.
Myth V: Beer is Safe
Most people are of the belief that though excessive drinking is harmful, drinking beer is not as bad as other beverages. This is completely false. Beer too damages the organs like the liver, heart, stomach, etc,, equally as compared to any other alcohol. So don’t simply gulp down those jugs of beer one after another and think that you are doing no harm to yourself.
Myth VI: Alcohol Isn’t As Bad As Drugs
Now this everyone believes. It is one of the most common alcohol myths. But the harsh reality is, alcohol can be more addictive that anything else. And the sad truth is that alcohol kills more people around the globe than all the drugs combined together.
Myth VII: Alcohol Betters Sex
Many people believe that drinking and having sex is more fun. But it is nothing but harmful. On a general note, when you are drunk, you might indulge in something which is risky, like unprotected sex, and be open to an unwanted pregnancy or an STD. medically, it has been proven that alcohol given men problems in getting proper erections, or even sustaining their erections, while for women, it lowers their sex drive.
Myth VIII: Eating Lots Before Drinking Keeps You Sober
When you drink on a full stomach, you feel like you aren’t getting as high as you would on an empty stomach. The truth is that it just takes a little longer for you to get high, but you don’t get any less high that you otherwise would. A full tummy simply delays the absorption of the alcohol into the bloodstream, thus only delaying its effect. So in the end, you will get as high as you would on an empty stomach, just a little later.
Besides these myths about alcohol use, one should simply understand that anything in excess is harmful to our body, be it alcohol or food, or anything else. So drink in moderation just to enjoy and be in your senses. A little wine with your dinner everyday is actually very good for the body. The bottom line is, don’t overdo it.