True and False Myths About Alcohol

There are several popular myths about alcohol that needs to be addressed, as some are true while others are just mere fiction.

One myth says that it's dangerous to take painkillers with alcohol, and this is to some point true. Certain painkillers can give internal bleeding when used with alcohol, so to be on the safe side it's better to skip the alcohol while on this medication.

Antibiotics on the other side are not affected by alcohol, so to have a couple of drinks while on penicillin medication is safe. Since both alcohol and antibiotics are metabolized by the liver, it might be a good idea to wait a few hours with the drinks after taking the medication. Alcohol can also weaken the body's defense in fighting infections, so it's wise to limit yourself to only a couple of drinks. Alcohol does however not ruin the effects of antibiotics.

To go to the gym the day after to get rid of the nasty hang over has no effect whatsoever. There is nothing that effects how quickly the alcohol goes out of your system, including exercise. Men actually get less out of weight training following a night on the town, as alcohol reduces the testosterone level needed to build muscles.

By having a few drinks you do not lose brain cells. However, the more often and bigger quantities you drink increases the chances of losing brain cells, so how often and how much you drink determines the chances of this happening. If you only have a couple of beers every once in a while you will not lose any brain cells.

An old myth says that it's OK to drink beer first and then wine, but wine first and then beer makes you sick. This is not necessarily true, as it mostly depends on the total amount and how long you've been under the influence. However, having lighter drinks at the beginning of the night is the best thing, as you then gradually increase the strength of the alcohol.

Men can take more alcohol then women, and this is mainly because of three reasons. First of all men are usually bigger, so the alcohol gets divided in a bigger volume. Second of all men have more muscles than fat, and the tissue in muscles contain water which dissolves the alcohol much better than in fat. Thirdly, men have increased activity of the enzymes in their stomach, which breaks down the alcohol much easier than in women before it goes into the blood stream.

A popular belief is that alcohol can help you stay warm on cold days. This is not true, as alcohol expands the blood vessels which are good if you get heat from the surroundings. On cold days while sitting in front of the camp fire at zero degrees however, the loss of heat will only increase with alcohol but might also give you a fake sensation of heat. On the other side, if you come into a warm room and try to get heat into your body alcohol might do some good, as it depends on the temperature of the surroundings.

The last myth is that when it's hot we sweat out the alcohol and can drink more than usual. This is not true, as 95% of alcohol metabolism happens in the liver. Only 1% goes out through sweat, and if it's very hot this might get up to 2%, but still this is too small an amount to mean anything in the big picture.