Alcohol - Facts and Myths

When a person consumes a glass of milk before drinking alcohol, the person does not get drunk
MYTH - When a person consumes alcohol on an empty stomach, the alcohol is absorbed rapidly. On the other hand, drinking on a full stomach does not reduce the effect of alcohol but decreases the speed at which it enters the bloodstream. Drinking milk before consuming alcohol helps reduce the acid produced by alcohol in the stomach. This will decrease the probability of gastritis or intestinal ulcers.

Alcohol is fattening
FACT - When the alcohol passes through the liver, the liver's enzymes convert the alcohol into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are stored as fat in the body.

Mixing different alcoholic drinks will cause a person to get drunk quicker.
MYTH - Ethyl alcohol is the active ingredient found in all alcoholic drinks. Mixing different alcoholic drinks will only increase the amount of ethanol in the body. Getting drunk quicker depends on a list of factors (i.e. how fast one drinks, how much one drinks, the persons mood, the amount of food in stomach, whether the person is male or female, and age).

The brain and the liver are the most negatively affected organs when a person abuses alcohol.
FACT - Long term effects of alcohol on the brain are irreversible and these may include, memory loss, confusion and learning problems. With regards to the liver, abuse of alcohol may lead to a fatty liver i.e. cirrhosis and hepatitis.

Alcohol reduces inhibitions.
FACT - A person who consumes alcohol feels pleasure and becomes talkative. This physical state is altered because the person's judgement is altered as soon as s/he consumes one unit of alcohol. However, since alcohol is a depressant, the mood quickly changes and the person tends to drink more in order to continue feeling better.

A shot of alcohol warms you up.
MYTH - The body temperature changes when a person consumes alcohol. Initially the body temperature goes up. However the process of digestion af alcohol within the body results in a decrease in body temperature, so much that the person will drink more alcohol to increase his/her body temperature.

A strong coffee reduces the effects of alcohol.
MYTH - The amount of ethyl alcohol in the body is not changed or reduced when a person drinks a coffee.

Abuse of alcohol can lead to alcoholism.
FACT - Alcoholism is a hereditary disease. Therefore, if there is a history of alcoholism within the family, the person who abuses alcohol has a greater tendency of becoming an alcoholic.

Drinking water can cure a hangover
FACT - One of the causes of a hangover is dehydation (not enough water) in the body. Drinking a few glasses of water might actually make a hangover better.

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