False myths about alcohol

1. It is not true that alcohol aids digestion.

On the contrary, it slows it down and produces gastric hypersecretion with impaired stomach emptying.

2. It is not true that wine is good for the blood.

Alcohol consumption can be responsible for various forms of anemia and an increase in blood fats.

3. It is not true that alcoholic beverages are thirst-quenching.

But they dehydrate: alcohol requires a greater quantity of water for its metabolism, as it causes a blockage of the antidiuretic hormone, therefore making you urinate more, increasing the sensation of thirst.

4. It's not entirely true that alcohol warms us.

In reality, the vasodilation it causes only produces a momentary and deceptive sensation of warmth on the surface, which quickly leads to further cooling of the body and, in an unheated environment, increases the risk of hypothermia.

5. It's not true that alcohol helps recover from shock.

On the contrary, by causing peripheral vasodilation, it leads to a decreased blood flow to internal organs, especially the brain.

6. It's not true that alcohol gives you strength.

Being a sedative, it only reduces the feeling of fatigue and pain. Furthermore, only a portion of the calories provided by alcohol can be used for muscle work.

7. It's not true that alcohol makes you feel safe.

It's a common idea that alcohol is a stimulant, but from a pharmacological standpoint, it's a powerful central nervous system depressant. It acts on the part of the brain that controls behavior, causing disinhibition and a decrease in the perception of risk and sensations of pain.

8. It's not true that beer makes milk.

In reality, women don't need beer to produce milk, but only liquids: water, fruit juice, and nutritious foods. The alcohol a woman drinks passes into breast milk and is absorbed by the baby.