It is Friday, Furahi Day, as many of us like to call it. We are thinking of how we are going to piga sherehe or pass the weekend in quiet solitude with a glass or two of our favorite drink, relishing in the moments and reliving the memories created.
Psychology tells us that our beliefs guide our actions. We base our decisions on what we know or believe to be true. But, what if the facts we believe aren’t true after all, or what we think are just myths are the truth? Let us weigh in on some myths and facts about alcohol to find out whether we are right or wrong.
Drinking a lot of water between drinks and before going to sleep can lessen the blunts of a hangover; fact.
Alcohol increases the frequency of going for short calls, and this usually leads to dehydration. No doubt, drinking a lot of alcohol can make you dehydrated, but it’s not the source of your hangover.
A hangover is from stomach irritation, low blood sugar (shakiness, weakness, irritability), and dilated blood vessels. Add to this a poor night’s sleep, and you will likely feel like you have been run over by a track the next morning.
Although dehydration is not considered a main cause of hangovers, it may contribute to thirst, headache, fatigue, and a dry mouth.
Drinking plenty of water, or non-alcoholic beverages between drinks, can help reduce some of the main symptoms of hangovers, including thirst and headache. Also, replacing the fluid lost during your night of “pewa na kulewa” by drinking a lot of water the next morning will help you feel a little less miserable.
Aspirin helps relieve a hangover; Fact
Drinking too much alcohol in one night can trigger an inflammatory immune response in the body, causing aches and pains in your body. Taking over-the-counter painkillers can help ease the headache, aches, and pain (watu wa dancing on the tables mnajijua😁)
It is not advisable taking the pill before bed because it is likely to wear off before you wake up with that throbbing headache and muscle aches. The best time to take a pain reliever (aspirin or ibuprofen) is when you’re finally up and regretting that extra tequila you were dared to down😀. It is essential to note that aspirin can sometimes irritate the stomach.
Additionally, do not take acetaminophen ( a popular brand is Tylenol) for hangover relief. This pain reliever is processed through the liver and can cause liver damage if you are an excessive drinker.
Drinking beer gives you a beer belly; Myth
It certainly can, but so can anything you consume in excess, even food. The beer drinker’s gut is a sign you’re overdoing it on something, but not necessarily beer or even alcohol. The main cause for your beer belly is the calories that you consume, whether in beer, whisky, bourbon, as they all contain alcohol.
On average, a bottle of beer consists of 107 calories, and your 45 ml vodka, whiskey, tequila or rum, consists of approximately 97 calories. Add the mixers like soda or juice to your drink, and this will increase the calories in your drink. On the other hand, you do not add any mixer to beer, which means its calories remain the same.
If you down several bottles of beer in one sitting then obviously you will end up with serious calorie overload. But the same can be said for the excess consumption of any other form of alcohol.
Also, the amount of sugary, processed, junk food that you gulp down with alcohol also contributes to these calories. The oversized portions of food that we indulge in, nyama choma anyone😋, with beer have a particular association with fat accumulation in your midsection.
When consumed in moderation and that too with low-calorie healthy foods you will not have a beer belly to complain about.
Eating high protein foods the morning after will get you back to normal- almost; Fact
Alcohol prevents your body from absorbing certain amino acids, one of the various reasons for a hangover. Your body breaks down protein into amino acids, making it a good choice during a hangover.
If you eat before you drink or while you drink, the effect of the food will decrease the rate of absorption of alcohol into the body and you will not get as high of a blood alcohol concentration.
However, If you drink a lot of alcohol over a short period you will get drunk. The rate at which you get drunk is dependent on you and your physiology. It is known that women get drunk faster than men and bigger people more slowly than people who are small.
If you are a regular drinker, you may be able to handle the larger quantities better. You will be in better control of yourself but you will be just as intoxicated.
Sudden discontinuation of alcohol after long-term alcoholism can kill; Fact
It’s called acute alcohol withdrawal. It can be life-threatening in some people, particularly long-term alcoholics. Rehab facilities that deal with such patients need to have “medically assisted alcohol withdrawal” or “medical detox.”
Medically assisted alcohol withdrawal can involve the use of sedatives, drugs to prevent tachycardia, and even anti-seizure medication; seizures are a withdrawal risk for long-term alcoholics.
You can get drunk Faster with a Straw; Fact
When drinking through a straw, people usually drink faster than if they were drinking regularly. Because they are ingesting more alcohol in a shorter period of time, they will clearly get drunk faster. Next time you do this, either take your time with it or do away with the straw.
Drinking alcohol while taking medication is bad for you; Fact
You should check a table of drug interactions before you take any medication with any amount of alcohol. While it might not be dangerous with some drugs, there are others that could seriously harm or kill you if taken with alcohol.
The best way to take your drugs is with water that is at room temperature. No point in taking a risk with your health/life.
Excessive consumption of alcohol over a long period of time can cause cirrhosis; Fact
Cirrhosis of the liver is irreparable and leads to a really unpleasant death. We all know moderation is key to everything. Let it also apply to drinking alcohol too.
At the very first signs of liver disease, a smart drinker stops drinking for the rest of their life.
Getting drunk results in better sex; Myth
One of the effects of alcohol is it makes you go flaccid in the middle of the act. Even if alcohol enhances your confidence by lowering your inhibitions it is all going to be in vain if it is eventually going to lead to disappointment.
Also, sex while inebriated can lead to impaired judgment like having unprotected sex. This can lead to unwanted pregnancy, STDs, and HIV.
The strongest beer in the world has a 67.5% alcohol content; Fact
Relax, it does not contain real venom, the Snake Venom from Brewmeister is however as deadly. At 67.5% ABV, the brew is the highest ABV beer in the world. The hoppy, malty, carbonated beast is best sipped like a relatively mild spirit and it has a flavor profile ranging from bubblegum to caramel. It is created using everything from smoked peat malt to two types of yeast during production to achieve that high alcohol volume. Such high ABV was also reached by freezing the brew multiple times during fermentation. In the freezing process, water freezes and alcohol does not. The ice is then removed, leaving a higher percentage of alcohol behind.
Those who cannot feel a buzz with three or four beers should try this. One bottle the whole night will suffice.
Passing out from drinking isn’t that big of a deal; Myth
Alcohol poisoning is drinking too much alcohol to the point it suppresses the central nervous system, stopping required bodily functions. Reflexes that keep us alive like coughing, gagging, breathing can be shut down completely, which can cause death as is more common, can cause someone to inhale their own vomit and drown.
It is advised for someone to sleep on their side and not on their back or stomach after a drinking session. This is to prevent gagging on your own vomit when you are passed out.
Alcohol prevents Covid-19; Myth
Alcohol consumption won’t help you be safe from Covid-19, popularly known as Corona. This is because Corona is a respiratory virus that affects the respiratory system (lungs). Consuming alcohol will only worsen your health.
Also, alcohol baths cannot kill the virus which has already entered the body. Rather, an alcohol bath will increase skin irritation, eye redness. But alcohol can be used to clean surfaces.
Having learned the myths and facts about alcohol, and how to always do it in moderation, find the drinks of your choice on our website by clicking here.
Jays Wines is the best place to buy your drinks online. We stock a wide range of genuine products. Our categories include; gin, whisky, whiskey(the American variant), cognac, brandy, rum, vodka, tequila, shooter, liqueur, cider, beers, champagne, and wine. Make your order and they shall be delivered to you at your doorstep by our diligent and prompt riders.
You can also drop by our physical shops along Biashara Street and Accra Road within Nairobi’s CBD.
Call 0705570066 to make your order, more information, and inquiries.
Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health. Please drink responsibly. Not for sale for persons under 18 years.
By Roseline Maina: Digital Marketer
