Facts vs myths

Myth: Drinking is necessary to socialize or reduce stress

Fact: Alcohol is a depressant that can worsen anxiety and disrupt sleep, ultimately contributing to poor mental health.

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Myth: Alcohol is not as harmful as other drugs.

Fact: Alcohol increases the risk of many deadly diseases, including cancer. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can kill you.

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Myth: Alcohol only damages the liver.

Fact: If your recent medical check-up shows that your liver is in good shape, don’t think that’s an excuse to drink too much. In fact, drinking alcohol can affect other parts of your body as well. This includes the heart, brain, kidneys and mental health. When alcohol is consumed, it is absorbed through the mucous membrane of the throat and esophagus, from where it enters the bloodstream.

Alcohol is also inflammatory and increases the risk of cancer and other diseases.

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Myth: Drinking alcohol the next day can cure hangovers.

Fact: Last but not least, another myth about alcohol, which is repeated all too often, is the “wedge by wedge” method. This “trick” basically claims that you can stop the monkey with more alcohol. Of all the dubious monkey remedies, this one is perhaps the most harmful.

Although it may seem to you that you are easing the hangover and nausea by indulging in more alcohol, you will only prolong the recovery process. All you’re doing is adding more toxins to your body, which is already working overtime to cleanse itself of the alcohol you’ve already consumed.

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Myth: Beer and wine are safer than hard alcohol.

Fact: Alcohol is alcohol. It can cause you problems regardless of how you consume it. There is as much alcohol in one bottle of beer or glass of wine as in 1.5 shots of alcohol. Mixed drinks often contain more alcohol than beer. There are many myths surrounding different types of alcohol and their effect on humans. And while you might think that casually drinking beer with friends is less intense than drinking an alcoholic drink, they’re more similar than you think.

Whether you drink a pale ale or a Moscow Mule, you typically consume a similar amount of alcohol.

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Myth: Beer before bed helps you fall asleep

Fact: Using any alcoholic beverage to help you sleep will always backfire, even if you feel like it’s helping you at the time.

Drinking beer before bed may make you fall asleep faster, but it interrupts deep sleep and you wake up later feeling unrested. Normally, your body cycles through light and deep sleep stages. Alcohol suppresses REM sleep and later causes “REM rebound”, with nightmares and trouble sleeping.

Repeated use of alcohol seriously disrupts sleep and makes it difficult to restore a normal sleep pattern.

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Myth: Alcohol is a stimulant.

Fact: Alcohol depresses the central nervous system. Although the initial effects of alcohol may be euphoric and seem invigorating, the cumulative effect of alcohol actually dulls the brain. First, the ability to make correct judgments and decisions is suppressed, then the loss of coordination and motor functions (blurring and stumbling) follows. If alcohol is consumed in high enough doses, it can depress the central nervous system enough to stop breathing and heartbeat.

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Myth: Alcohol is a great way to relax and reduce stress.

Fact: Although alcohol may initially make you feel more relaxed and calm, the effects don’t last long. In fact, alcohol can cause more anxiety the next day. Alcohol increases the level of stress in the body. When we drink, the level of adrenaline in the body increases.

One of the biggest misconceptions about alcohol is that it gives you energy, which can motivate you to drink more, especially during social situations. However, alcohol has a depressing effect on the brain. First, it shuts down executive functions such as judgment, mood control, and natural inhibitions. Some people perceive it as a feeling of excitement, but others experience the opposite: sleepiness, lethargy and even a feeling of depression. Point? Alcohol disrupts normal brain function regardless of how you feel when you drink.

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]Myth: Eating something fatty or milky will slow down the absorption of alcohol and prevent a person from getting drunk or sick.

Fact: The stomach cannot be “coated” to prevent alcohol absorption. However, individuals are advised to eat foods rich in carbohydrates and protein before consuming alcohol.  This slow-digesting food reduces the amount of alcohol that is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the mucous lining of the stomach. Food also slows the rate at which the stomach empties into the small intestine, where alcohol is absorbed much more quickly.

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Myth: Men and women react to alcohol the same way

Drinking alcohol tends to produce higher blood alcohol concentrations in women than in men due to differences in body weight and body composition. This leads to a higher rate of intoxication in women.

Alcohol dissolves in water, and women have less water in their bodies than men. So if a woman and a man of the same weight consume the same amount of alcohol, her blood alcohol concentration will usually rise faster than his.

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Myth: Anyone who “goes off” drinking should be put to bed and allowed to sleep.

Fact: If someone has had too much to drink and passes out, the worst thing you can do is drag them into a bedroom away from others and close the door. Alcohol slows heart rate and breathing and lowers blood pressure. The amount of alcohol it takes to pass out is dangerously close to the amount it takes to kill you. If someone passes out, monitor their breathing and heart rate closely.  If there is cause for concern, do not hesitate to seek medical attention. You can save his life.

Responsible drinking is not only about the amount you consume, but also the way you consume it. You may hear a lot of talk about how to make drinking “easier” or “healthier,” but in reality there are no shortcuts or magic tricks. Therefore, it is best to consume alcohol safely and in moderation, or not drink at all.

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