Ad delo Yada: These are the ten most common myths about alcohol

The world of alcohol is filled with legends, tales, stories, and myths passed down from generation to generation. On the eve of Purim, a holiday where drinking alcoholic beverages until "one no longer knows" is customary, we set out to uncover the truth behind a series of myths about alcohol that have spread widely—some of which have become accepted as absolute truth.

Mixing Different Types of Alcohol Makes You Drunker

Not exactly. Ethanol is the active ingredient in alcohol and is identical across all drinks. Mixing types of alcohol will only make you drunker if you drink more overall, but the act of mixing itself doesn’t cause it.

The reason is simple: When you drink a beverage with a low alcohol percentage, the effect feels less intense than drinking one with a high percentage, leading the drinker to want to consume more and more to reach that stronger sensation. Likewise, excessive drinking can worsen the hangover the next day.

Mixing Alcohol with Energy Drinks Makes You Drunker

Not true, but it is dangerous. Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is extremely risky because it produces the same level of intoxication—but makes you feel less drunk. Caffeine, a stimulant found in energy drinks, can mask the sensation of drunkenness. As a result, people might consume more alcohol than they would without energy drinks, leading to dangerous levels of intoxication and blood alcohol content. This means you drink more because you want to feel drunker, and you might also engage in risky activities like driving, believing you’re not intoxicated.

Coffee and a Cold Shower Sober You Up

Not true. While you might feel more alert after coffee and a shower, you’re just as drunk, and you shouldn’t rely on this, for example, when driving. The only thing that eliminates drunkenness is time.

There’s Such a Thing as a Beer Belly

Not quite. Beer does contain a high number of calories and contributes to weight gain (each gram of alcohol has 7 calories), but you’d need to drink the equivalent of an average meal’s worth of calories to start growing a belly—and that’s far beyond the average human drinking capacity.

Drinking Alcohol Before Bed Helps You Sleep Better

Not true. The reason alcohol makes us fall asleep is that it depresses the central nervous system. Alcohol has a calming and numbing effect that helps us feel relaxed and drowsy, so it’s reasonable that after drinking, we might fall asleep faster than usual. However, drinking alcohol before bedtime disrupts sleep cycles, prevents proper recovery, and can worsen symptoms of sleep disorders and breathing issues. Additionally, alcohol causes waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, further harming sleep quality. It affects blood flow and brain function, disrupts the biological clock, and since the body recognizes it as a toxin, systems work overtime during sleep instead of resting and repairing.

Alcohol Kills Brain Cells

Not accurate. Moderate alcohol consumption doesn’t destroy brain cells. Excessive use (alcoholism) can harm the brain, but not by killing cells. Alcohol can damage dendrites, the extensions of nerve cells that serve as their input mechanism. Damage to dendrites leads to communication problems between brain cells. According to an article published in the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, alcohol can sometimes improve cognitive function. However, it’s crucial to emphasize that this improvement comes from moderate, controlled consumption—not excessive drinking.

Vomiting or Stomach Pumping Removes Alcohol

Not true. Since alcohol is absorbed from the stomach through the small intestine into the bloodstream within about 5 minutes, it’s no longer in the digestive system. Thus, vomiting or stomach pumping doesn’t remove alcohol—it only expels other substances and food remnants. Stomach pumping is intended to prevent vomiting and choking from aspiration of food residue.

The Minimum Drinking Age Is 18

Not true. England is the only country in the world with a law specifically setting the minimum drinking age at 18. Some countries allow purchasing alcohol at 16 (e.g., Austria, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Romania), while others permit it only at 21 (e.g., most U.S. states). In Israel, selling or serving hard liquor is allowed only to those 18 and older. In other words, the law permits minors to drink alcohol, but only with the presence and consent of their legal guardian or within a family setting.

Alcohol Warms the Body

Not true. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, giving a temporary feeling of warmth, but in the long term, this leads to heat loss. The dilation of arteries from alcohol consumption increases the surface area of peripheral blood vessels through which heat escapes, effectively cooling the body.

Eating a Good Meal Before Drinking Prevents Drunkenness

Not true. Drinking on a full stomach slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream and brain, but eventually, it’s absorbed and produces the same intoxicating effect.

Tips for Responsible Drinking and Hangover Prevention:

Don’t Drink on an Empty Stomach! Eat a meal beforehand; avoid drinking on an empty stomach.

Drink Slowly. Experienced drinkers know how many drinks it takes to feel a buzz. If you’re inexperienced, sip slowly and don’t overwhelm your system with a large amount of alcohol at once.

Drink Water or Soft Drinks Between Alcoholic Beverages. Non-alcoholic fluids dilute alcohol absorption in the blood. The more water or soft drinks you consume, the more moderate the alcohol absorption, allowing partial control over intoxication pace.

Eat Fatty Foods. Fatty foods before drinking slow alcohol absorption into the blood—examples include olives, bread with butter, sausages, etc.

Avoid Salt. Steer clear of salty foods that increase thirst (and thus encourage more drinking).

"Don’t Mix Different Types of Alcohol, It’s Dangerous" | The Ten Most Common Myths About Alcohol (Photo: Shutterstock)

Sprite vs. Hangover

It sounds strange, but a 2017 study found that drinking Sprite or soda prevents a hangover the next morning. Chinese researchers tested 57 different drinks and discovered that Sprite and soda were the best options because they inhibit acetaldehyde—a byproduct of alcohol breakdown in the liver that causes hangovers—while also speeding up its elimination, reducing suffering for participants.

A Final Word on the Custom of "L’Chaim":

One might wonder why the custom of toasting "L’Chaim" was established specifically with an alcoholic beverage. The explanation offered is this: Alcohol’s virtue lies in its inability to freeze. Even in the harshest frost, alcohol remains liquid. This serves as a metaphor for the Jewish soul, which never freezes—even in the greatest cold, the flame of the Jewish spirit continues to flicker.

L’Chaim!!