Myths about alcohol

What we know about alcohol? For spirits persist misconceptions that we take for truth, not even to think. Some of them are in the field of urban legends, others just seem obvious. Yet, before we sit for another "Cheers" not bad to poopresnim knowledge and assimilate myths from the truth.

1.Women can drink as men

This actually is not so common myth, but it sounds politically correct and sometimes put forward as an argument in disputes women - men. Well, not true. At the same height and weight women absorb 30% more alcohol in the blood of men - ergot, ladies drunk more quickly with the same amount of alcohol.

This is because the structure of the fairer sex is characterized by a higher percentage of body fat that do not contribute to the treatment of alcohol and with less water content, which in turn contributes to its higher concentration in the blood.

Moreover, men have a greater amount of the enzyme ADH, which breaks down alcohol in the stomach before it went into the liver.

In practice the vast body weight is an additional factor that enhances endurance alcoholic husband.

2.Drinking kills brain cells

Are our alcohol more stupid? It's about whether drinking kills brain cells, not "heroic" performances intoxicated. According to studies of brain Queensland Institute of Australia and the University Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, it can all repose - alcohol does not damage the brain, much as our headache the next morning. It does not kill brain cells temporarily hampered their work and any changes are completely reversible. Numerous studies further confirmed that moderate consumption of wine is a good preventive against dementia, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

3.Absinthe is a hallucinogen

Nicknamed the "green fairy" absinthe - anise alcohol mixed with herbs - for many years has had the glory of the drug, leading to madness. The legend is interesting, but it seemed false.

Until the early 19th century, absinthe was prevalent mostly among the European aristocracy. With mass production, however, the drink became much more accessible and popular. Came to the point that since in the 70s of the 19th century winemaking suffered several painful poor harvests, absinthe was established as the most common alcohol in France, displacing wine.

That does not appeal to winemakers and they whirled real smear campaign against absinthe. It was said that the drink has narcotic properties that leads to hallucinations and antisocial behavior. For additional burden absinthe was associated with decadent bohemians and artists - Baudelaire, Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde and Toulouse-Lautrec. Narcotic effect can be ascribed to one of its components - wormwood extract containing chemical compound thujone. By the beginning of World War drink was banned worldwide.
The ban fell towards the end of the last century absinthe again found their way to the tables and glasses. Stayed only limit the level of thujone does not pass certain limits. Still not clear what exactly is the effect of thujone, but there is no evidence it is a hallucinogen.

4.Mendeleev and vodka

In 1864 Dmitri Mendeleev wrote his dissertation "On mixing alcohol with water." From there goes the myth that the great scientist has created a Russian standard, according to which in the vodka must have 40 percent alcohol content. Sounds romantic - the genius of the periodic table provides another valuable gift to mankind - the true vodka.

Alas, like most romantic stories, and this is a hoax. What great scientist does is that it establishes: in solution at a concentration of alcohol 46% pure alcohol and water were dissolved completely in each other and this is the optimal mixture with the lowest weight. The chemist does not mention anywhere the word vodka.

The state standard for 40-degree Russian vodka was introduced in 1896 and is the work of ... officials. They rounded degrees, which previously ranged between 38º and 47º, to facilitate their arithmetic of excise duty.

5.Coffee sobers

Sounds logical, right? Hot and bitter, refreshing and gives energy - favorite coffee seems to be the absolute opposite of alcohol and can sobered us if we have overdone with cups.

Exactly the opposite! The sobering effect of coffee is just a delusion. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and has a mask and misleading action - ie charging us with energy and prevents us to realize that we've had enough and need to stop.

This can have serious consequences. In the US, for example, in 2010 a group of students graduate in hospital right after the consumption of "energy mix" of alcohol and caffeine.

Sobering up is a matter of time and even the effect of a little drink on the body lasts for at least 2-3 hours.

6.Light hangover

Alas, no. The causes of hangovers are complex and still not entirely clear to scientists. Alcohol definitely dehydrated, full body with a cocktail of toxins and steals glucose from which the brain needs to work. Halftime morning often dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and unbearable headaches.

In these cases, folk medicine prescribed treatment with cabbage soup, tripe soup, cold shower and no matter how ridiculous it sounds - a beer. The last recipe is known as "dog hair" and is based on the belief that a beer will soothe nasty hangover symptoms. The simple truth is that the more alcohol in the body, the longer it breaks down and the longer it will continue hangover. However, a little vodka can significantly alleviate the condition. The best cure for a hangover, alas, remains a time.

Still, coffee and aspirin morning are two traditional tools that can help us. These experiments show Michael Olinski and his team from the University "Thomas Jefferson" in Philadelphia. The study, published in 2011, researchers used a combination of caffeine and anti-inflammatory medication to relieve headaches caused by ethyl alcohol in rats.

7.Alcohol through a straw

It sounds like a joke, but there are still people who stubbornly believe that if you consume alcohol through a straw, intoxicating effect will increase.

How exactly should happen, it is not very clear. One theory states that passing through the straw, the alcohol is mixed with the air and the saturated alcohol air goes into the nasal cavity, where the alcohol is absorbed faster into the bloodstream. Did you understand?

Others say it is a more rapid passage of the drink from the cup to the stomach, hence speed "cutting." In fact, the straw has no effect, except that drinking beer makes far less manly.

8.beer belly

In the context of beer we can not forget the myth of the beer belly - fat accumulation that especially the Lord gives abdomen gyuleobrazna specific form. This type of obesity is associated precisely with excessive consumption of the amber beverage.

But until now scientists have found no other connection between beer and beer belly except, of course, caloric intake. Beer undoubtedly is a food, a small - 330 ml, contains about 100 calories. This does not seem like a lot compared to soft drinks such as car - 110 calories per cup of 250 ml. In conclusion - other factors such as what we eat with beer, and genetic predisposition play a more decisive role in the abdomen.

9.Worm in tequila

OK, that's half true. Worm really, but not tequila. In fact, it's similar spirit - mescal, which is also made of desert agave plant.

In the 50s of the last century in Mexico Jacob Lozano Paez, manufacturer and trader of mescal, found that the processing of the leaves in alcohol often fall worms. The animals lived in agave and were a sign of poor quality product. The businessman, however, found that intruders give a different taste of mescal, and so his ingenious idea came to branding. The idea was popularized so that the worm become a byword even have nothing to do tequila. Obviously if something vile drink, swim, surely drink is damn exotic - respectively the person who consumes passes for modern and extravagant. Some even worms they seemed too harmless and so began the "bottling" small skorpioncheta in mescal. All tastes...

10.Drinking warms

Very, very wrong. Pleasant warmth that spills on the body after a glass of grog for example, is only an illusion. Alcohol actually sends more blood to the skin and causes not only a sense of warmth, but also well-known redness. In this process, however, lose body heat and cold. This is dangerous, especially in the colder months, because it can lead to frostbite.

11.Champagne intoxicate faster

There are myths that are true. The relationship between the bubbles in champagne and faster drinking is demonstrated by Fran Ridaut the University "Surrey", UK. Ridaut and her team tested the effects on two groups of volunteers. The first group was given fizzy champagne and the second degassed. In the second phase of the experiment groups exchanged places. It has been found that those who drank sparkling champagne, have a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood and, respectively, the effect of intoxication was stronger. What is the role of the bubbles is not yet clear. One theory is that the carbon dioxide therein accelerating the passage of alcohol from the stomach to the small intestine, and hence its absorption.

Source: Science Alert ,https://www.gettyimages.com/