Suppose you are surrounded by people who drink alcohol regularly. In that case, you must have come across popular sayings like beer helps you pass kidney stones, wine is good for health, or sticking to one type of liquor during a drinking session makes you less drunk and helps prevent hangovers.
Or maybe you are one of those who regularly drink alcohol and have convinced yourself that such sayings are factual. The truth is, that none of these statements are true and are mere excuses that people tell themselves to excuse their casual indulgence in alcohol.
It is important to bust these myths as they allow people to gloss over just how damaging alcohol can be. According to the World Health Organisation, as of 2019, 2.6 million deaths were caused by alcohol consumption, either in the form of non-communicable diseases, injuries, or communicable diseases. The WHO states that alcohol consumption plays a causal role in more than 200 diseases, injuries and other health conditions. Moreover, 400 million people aged 15 years and older live with alcohol use disorders.
To help bust the myths surrounding alcohol use, the Onlymyhealth team spoke to Dr Uday Sanglodkar, Senior Consultant, Hepatologist and Clinical Lead, Liver and Transplant ICU, Gleneagles Hospitals, Parel.
#1 Myth: Beer Helps Pass Kidney Stones
If you frequent bars or breweries, you must have seen posters that claim that beer can help you pass kidney stones. In fact, it is one of the most well-known misconceptions about beer. Turns out, beer does not have any special properties that help you pass kidney stones. It is merely doing the same thing that any other liquid does.
Dr Sanglodkar said, "Beer basically does the work of water. It causes diuresis, which means it makes you pass more urine. This increases the likelihood of passing kidney stones stuck in the urethra, the tube through which we pass urine."
Also Read: Expert Shares How Artificially Sweetened Drinks Can Increase The Risk Of Kidney Stones
This can be easily achieved through other liquids that may not harm your body as much as beer does. "Beer damages your liver and your health more than it aids in passing kidney stones. So the point that drinking beer helps you combat kidney stones is nothing but a myth. It just makes you pass urine more than helping against kidney stones, which can be easily achieved with drinking water instead of damaging your liver," explained Dr Sanglodkar.
#2 Myth: Mixing Different Liquors Makes You More Drunk
If you have been around circles that frequently consume alcohol, you must have heard of the adage that drinking different types of liquor at the same time causes you to get more drunk than sticking to just one type of liquor.
"This is a myth. Whichever liquor you drink, whether it be whiskey, vodka, rum, or beer, the basic component is alcohol. So if you drink any kind of alcohol, you are going to get a hangover if you drink in excess. There is no relation to the types of liquor you drink,” said Dr Sanglodkar.
#3 Myth: Drinking A Glass Of Wine Daily Is Healthy Because It Contains Antioxidants
You must have heard people say that if you drink daily, drinking a glass of wine is healthy because it contains antioxidants. However, this is also a myth.
"If we talk about moderate drinking, then of all the liquors, wine is better. But the reason is not its antioxidants but that it has less alcohol compared to other liquors,” said Dr Sanglodkar. A study by Australian researchers published in Nutrition Journal found that red wine offers general oxidative protection and enhances lipid systems in circulation by boosting antioxidant status.
Also Read: Red Wine Vs White Wine? Which Is Better For Your Health, Or Both Equally Bad Even In Moderation
However, "Even though wine has antioxidants in it because it is made from fruits like grapes, you can get these antioxidants from an apple also, which is much healthier of course,” said Dr Sanglodkar.
He added, "Wine increases cholesterol in your body, and just like any other alcohol if you drink wine daily, it will be harmful to your health."
#4 Myth: Alcohol Is Not A Problem As Long As You Can Hold It
All of us know of at least one person who can drink copious amounts and still seem barely tipsy. Or maybe you are that person. Often we associate an alcohol problem with those who get overly drunk and lose control of their body and mind. However, that does not mean that having the capacity to hold your liquor saves you from the harmful effects of binge drinking.
“People who have been drinking alcohol for years grow accustomed to it. Even if they drink ten glasses, they'll seem normal routine. But that does not mean their body is better at digesting alcohol. They will face the same side effects on the liver, heart and the rest of the body,” said Dr Sanglodkar.
#5 Myth: Coffee Helps You Sober Up
You must have heard people advise drinking coffee to help someone sober up faster. Again, this is nothing but a myth. According to the University of Arkansas and Medical Sciences, coffee can not reduce the amount of alcohol in your system.
Dr Sanglodkar said, “What coffee, and more specifically black coffee does is that it causes a higher level of adrenaline to be released in the body that stimulates your brain and counters the depressant effect of alcohol. It is not any kind of weapon or antidote against alcohol.”
#6 Myth: People With Higher BMI Take Longer To Get Drunk
Another common myth about alcohol is that people who are tall or have more body fat, basically people with a higher Body Mass Index, have a higher tolerance for alcohol, and need more alcohol to get drunk compared to small-bodied individuals.
Also Read: Why BMI Is Not A Good Metric For Checking Obesity Or Overweight in Indians, Shares Expert
“No, this is a myth. The basic component of liquor is alcohol which gets converted into aldehyde when it gets absorbed in our body and directly enters the brain. So even if the person consuming alcohol is obese or tall, their brain will be of a similar size as anyone else,” said Dr Sanglodkar.
He added, “It doesn’t matter if the person consuming alcohol is thin and lean, or obese and tall. If they drink even one pint of beer, the alcohol will affect their brain first and then their body. So they will get drunk equally.”
#7 Myth: Drinks With Less Alcohol Content Are Safer
Hardcore alcohol drinkers often call beer as water. You must be familiar with that. Some people also think that drinks like Breezers which have very little alcohol content are not as unhealthy for you as hard liquors like whiskey or vodka. However, Dr Sanglodkar called this a myth as well.
“The best thing for your body is to stop drinking any type of alcohol. However, if you find yourself unable to quit alcohol completely, then opting for a breezer or beer is fine because it contains less alcohol,” he said.
Also Read: Mocktails Are Non-Alcoholic; But Are They Healthy?
However, he underscored that drinks like breezers also contain added sugar and are carbonated drinks that can affect your liver rapidly, even if you drink them in a moderate quantity.
#8 Myth: Blacking Out On Alcohol Is A Genetic Problem
The last alcohol-related myth that Dr Sanglodkar busted is that the tendency to black out after heavy drinking is based on genetic factors. According to research conducted by Washington University in St Louis, blacking out, or experiencing periods of memory loss during a session of heavy drinking, may have a genetic component, but it may be more influenced by alcohol dependence and gulping alcohol on an empty stomach.
However, Dr Sanglodkar explained, “A blackout is nothing but a kind of brain stimulation that causes a sudden loss of consciousness triggered by excessive alcohol in your system. It is not genetic.”
He stipulated, “If a person experiences frequent blackouts compared to others while drinking a comparable amount of alcohol, then they need to seek complete evaluation because it could be hinting at an underlying medical issue.”
Dr Sangloskar concluded that there are many myths surrounding alcohol use, which are nothing more than excuses for people to continue exploiting alcohol. No amount or type of alcohol is healthy or safe for your body. The only fact about alcohol is to stay away from it. However, if you like having a good time and need to take the edge off once in a while, make sure you moderate your alcohol consumption and build a healthy lifestyle that can help you bounce back from occasional alcohol use.