There are a lot of myths about drinking alcohol and hangovers. Here are some of the beliefs about drinking and the truth behind them…
1. Men can drink more than women without getting drunk
TRUE. In general, men can consume more alcohol than women without getting drunk. The reason for it is that men weight more than women and that’s why their body has a lower concentration of alcohol. Despite this, men’s body contains more water than women’s. In other words, if a man and a women drink the same amount of alcohol, chances are the women will get drunk faster.
2. Coffee helps with the hangover and makes you sober
FALSE. When alcohol gets into your body, it will take a few hours to get your body back to normal. Neither coffee or a cold shower will help you get sober. Coffee can only help you cover the fact you’re drunk, you’ll not be sober but more awake. That effect can be rather dangerous because it can make you get in your car and drive because you’ll feel more awake, but the truth is you need to give the keys to someone else. Coffee is not a good choice for the next day either, because it will dehydrate you even more. After being drunk, the best thing to do is to avoid caffeine and drink a lot of water or sport drinks.
3. Eating before drinking helps you not to get drunk
TRUE. Never go to a party hungry. Food slows the absorption of alcohol and that gives your body more time to deal with the alcohol. But, this doesn’t mean that you can drink all you want without getting drunk. An empty stomach will get you drunk faster, but a full stomach doesn’t mean you should drink uncontrollably.
4. Eating pasta before going to bed will cure your hangover
FALSE. Eating after your crazy night drinking will not help you. You should eat before you start drinking. Pasta doesn’t help because it’s full, with carbohydrates. Greasy food is a much better choice, because it will slow down the absorption of alcohol.
5. Alcohol destroys brain cells
FALSE. Alcohol doesn’t destroy your brain cells, but it affects the way they communicate with each other. Even though it doesn’t destroy them, drinking alcohol every day can lead to neurological disorders that lead to memory loss.
6. Alcohol that’s not colored will give you a ‘lighter’ hangover
TRUE. Red wine is not a good choice if you don’t want to wake up with a headache. Dark colored alcohol like whiskey, can cause headaches. On the other hand, alcohol like vodka and gin will not give you a headache in the morning.
7. Mixing different types of alcohol will get you drunker
FALSE. Drinking different types of alcohol like, beer and wine will not get you more drunk but it will make you sick and you will be facing with a terrible hangover
8. Alcohol will give you an energy boost
FALSE. At the beginning, yes, you will feel happier and full with energy but if you pass your limit you will soon feel that your movement, talking and thinking are getting slower and that your mood is going down.