8 Myths about alcohol and hangovers
We have prepared for you 8 widespread myths about alcohol and hangovers. Are they all just myths or are some true?
1. You sleep better after drinking alcohol
Myth
The neurotransmitter GABA works naturally in the brain. Alcohol binds to the same places as this neurotransmitter, activates them, and this can really lead to relaxation and falling asleep more easily. But the brain evaluates this effect as an imbalance and tries to suppress this increased excitation of GABA receptors by starting to break down the right neurotransmitter. After the alcohol wears off, there is suddenly a lack of neurotransmitter. This effect will reduce the time of quality sleep , so it will be harder for us to fall asleep.
2. Beer (de)hydrates
It depends on the circumstances.
Beer contains a lot of water, but also ethanol. Ethanol reduces the production of vasopressin, a hormone that helps retain water. It depends on how much water the body absorbs from the beer.
If we are dehydrated (after sports), the body absorbs more water than it excretes due to the small amount of ethanol, and therefore beer hydrates us in this case.
If we just sit down and the body doesn't need to absorb the water, it just flows through us. Subsequently, the effect of ethanol begins to manifest itself and the beer in this case can dehydrate.
3. Charcoal helps with hangovers
Myth
The logic behind this myth is that charcoal, due to its porosity and large internal surface area, would absorb ethanol and pollutants from the body. However, harmful substances are only created in the body, so they do not reach the animal charcoal (which remains in the digestive system). Ethanol that gets into animal charcoal does not bind to it very well. It is better to eat well - food rich in protein and fiber. These components weigh the alcohol better. You can learn more tips on how to avoid a hangover in our article .
4. Red wine is beneficial
Unconfirmed
In the case of red wine, this claim is mainly based on the substance resveratrol. However, the most recent large-scale studies have found no link between red wine consumption and a reduction in heart disease, cancer or other diseases. Although scientists do not agree on this matter, one thing is certain - only 1-2 dcl per day can have positive effects.
5. Vomiting relieves a hangover
It has its own but...
Ethanol is absorbed into the blood in 30-120 minutes. It is therefore a question of how much of it is still unabsorbed during vomiting.
By vomiting, the body wants to get rid of harmful substances and therefore triggers this reflex. After vomiting, the feeling of nausea can disappear, so it can really help with nausea the next day even if he doesn't get rid of any ethanol.
On the other hand, it is a big burden for the body. In addition, we lose important substances and water, which, on the contrary, makes it heavier.
6. Alcohol kills brain cells
Not with normal consumption
In moderation, alcohol does not have a long-lasting effect on the brain.
However, regular and increased alcohol consumption can damage dendrites - the terminal parts of neurons.
7. Mixing alcohol makes hangovers worse
Myth!
Although everyone has heard it, the results of large-scale studies speak quite clearly - there is no correlation between mixing different types of alcoholic beverages and the degree of hangover.
Congeners contribute to hangovers (you can find out what congeners are in our article ). Lighter drinks (vodka) contain less of them than darker ones (bourbons). According to scientists, it is better to drink a shot of vodka and a shot of bourbon than two shots of bourbon.
One thing but after all, scientists have revealed - if a person starts with weaker drinks (beer, wine) and then switches to hard drinks (shots), he will consume more alcohol in the evening than someone who starts straight away with shots. This is due to the fact that a person gets used to the faster pace of drinking and does not slow down. This partially shows the correlation between mixing and worse hangovers, but for a completely different reason.
8. Bubbles speed up getting drunk
Truth
According to studies, they have no effect on hangovers, but they are proven to speed up the absorption of alcohol. So you get drunk faster and reach a higher peak (per mille) in the blood.
Links to sources used
Alcohol and sleep:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5821259/
https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/mind-read/alcohol_sleep_and_why_you/
Dehydration of beer:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4459073/
Charcoal:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3710499/
Ethanol and the brain:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17439928/
Mixing and Hangover:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140428-does-wine-beer-huge-hangover
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15706734/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3864560/
