The consumption of alcohol can sometimes be a controversial topic thanks to numerous myths surrounding its consumption and aftereffects. This can create significant health hazards if you can't separate the facts from fiction. Understanding how alcohol works and how it may affect you is one of the best ways to ensure safe and healthy consumption of your favorite alcoholic beverage.
Fact: Alcohol May Be Healthy
In moderation, alcohol can be healthy. It may improve longevity, decrease risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks and reduce the risk of stroke, according to the State University of New York.
Fiction: Caffeine Can Help Improve Sobriety
You may think that a cup of coffee can invigorate you and overcome the effects of being drunk---a common conception among drinkers---but coffee's caffeine will not reduce the intoxication effects of an alcoholic drink, according to MedlinePlus. In fact, it may make you more dangerous because you think you're becoming sober, thus increasing your chance of committing risky behavior.
Fiction: Cold Showers or Exercise Can Help Improve Sobriety
The Administrative Office of the Courts of California warns that exercising or taking a cold shower won't make you more sober. The only way to become sober is to wait for the body to metabolize and process the alcohol, which takes varying amounts of time depending on various conditions like your body weight.
Fiction: Beer and Wine Are Safer Than Hard Liquor
All alcoholic beverages contain alcohol, and the type of beverage you drink isn't a reliable indicator of its safety or ability to get you drunk. For example, a single 12 oz. bottle of beer can be just as intoxicating a 1.5 oz. shot of hard liquor, such as vodka or tequila.
Fact: Women Shouldn't Drink as Much as Men
Women are often affected more intensely by alcohol than men, according to the State University of New York. This is because women typically have more body fat compared to lean muscle, which concentrates the effects of alcohol. Women also have less of the various enzymes that help process and digest alcohol.
References
- State University of New York: Alcohol Facts and Fiction
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Looking to Sober Up? Caffeine Is Not the Answer
- Administrative Office of the Courts of California: Myths About Alcohol, Other Drugs and DUI
- MedlinePlus: Caffine in the Diet
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Underage Drinking: Myths vs. Facts
