Some of the things you don’t know about alcohol are interesting or entertaining. For instance, did you know that the “Star Spangled Banner” follows the tune of an old drinking song? However, some of the other things you don’t know, like the symptoms of alcohol poisoning, can be downright dangerous. If you enjoy being amused and educated, keep reading and learn ten things you probably don’t know about alcohol.
1. The Oldest Written Recipe? Beer.
A 4000-year old Mesopotamian clay tablet had the archeologists who excavated it scratching their heads trying to decipher the ancient object’s hieroglyphics. Imagine their delight when they finally discovered that the tablet recorded civilization’s first known written recipe – for beer. It wasn’t just any common type of beer that deserved all the trouble of carving a stone recipe card; it was heavenly beer, a formula handed down to the Sumerians directly from the god Enki. Among other attributes, Enki was the god of crafting and mischief, which sounds about right for a beer master.
2. Not All Alcoholic Drinks are “Spirits”
People often use the term “spirits” to describe all types of alcoholic beverages, but in fact, only those drinks distilled without any additional sugar and containing 20 percent alcohol by volume fall under the category of spirits according to the industry. Beverages such as whisky, gin and tequila are a few examples. Distilled beverages that do include additional sugar or other flavorings bear the name of liqueurs, such as American schnapps or Frangelico. Beer and wine don’t qualify for the title at all since they are not distilled, but fermented.
3. Alcohol Puts You at Risk for STDs
Believe it or not, there’s a direct link between drinking and contracting a sexually transmitted disease. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 3.1 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 25 who identify themselves as heavy drinkers have or have had an STD within the last year. Only 1.4 percent of non-drinkers within the same age group have had an STD. Incidentally, the rate of STDs is higher for women who drink heavily than for their male counterparts.
5. Alcohol May Cause Cancer
There probably won’t be any cancer warnings on the side of a beer bottle any time soon, but the American Cancer Society cites a link between alcohol use and an increased risk of mouth, throat, larynx, liver, esophagus, breast and colon cancer.
6. The Origin of Toasting
Today we “make a toast” by offering well-wishes with a symbolic drink of alcohol, but the custom may have originated in Rome (or Greece or Germany) when an actual piece of toast was dipped into a glass of wine – perhaps to celebrate the plentitude of food and drink at a special occasion.
7. Champagne Facts
Only sparkling wine made from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France bears the legal label of Champagne. All others are merely sparkling wine (unless given their own regional name). Ever wonder how many bubbles are in a bottle of bubbly? Forty-nine million is the estimate. There’s more pressure in a Champagne bottle than in an automobile tire. Pop!
8. All Those Ads Don’t Make You Drink More
A study conducted by doctors from Pennsylvania State University and Montana State University concluded that alcohol advertising does not increase alcohol consumption. Their findings are in consensus with most of the body of research focused on the subject.
9. Binge Drinking Can Kill You – Even if it’s Only Beer
Too many young people are under the impression that acute alcohol poisoning can only happen if they’re drinking “hard” liquor. The fact is that any alcoholic drink can create levels of ethanol in the body high enough to suppress the respiratory system or cause death by asphyxiation. The symptoms of alcohol poisoning are often indiscernible from the symptoms of being intoxicated. If someone you know has been drinking and is vomiting, breathing slowly or appears incoherent, seek medical attention.
10. Alcohol Lowers Your Body Temperature
It feels like your temperature’s rising when you drink alcohol because alcohol is a vasodilator – it makes the blood vessels near your skin’s surface expand, which gives you a flush of warmth. The problem is that as the blood rushes to your skin’s dilated vessels, it’s rushing away from your body’s core. Frostbite, exhaustion, and potentially fatal hypothermia are dangerous realities of mid-winter binging, especially for those who live in severe climates.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” and maybe that’s true. But there is also a quote by an unknown author who said, “The first thing in the human personality that dissolves in alcohol is dignity,” and maybe that’s true, too. Of all the things you might not know about alcohol, one thing that you should know is the importance of enjoying it responsibly. Cheers!
This post was written and provided by Gregg Gustafson who is a freelance writer and consultant for Drug-Rehab.org. Gustafson works with individuals who suffer from drug abuse on a daily basis in turn referring them to some of the most prestige long term drug rehab centers active today.