29 Misconceptions About Alcohol - mental_floss on YouTube (Ep.45)

Hello, my name is Hannah Hart and this is Mental Floss on YouTube

Mental floss! Flossing my brain, making it clean. Now you might know me from my shenanigans on my drunk kitchen, so you might consider me an expert on the topic of alcohol. Ding

Now did you know that liquor before beer never fear, beer before liquor never sicker, is not actually true

In fact, the order in which you drink booze doesn't even matter

And switching between beer, wine and liquor all in the same night will not make you more drunk

In fact, it's all about how much you drink. And that was the first of many alcohol-related misconceptions that I'm going to clear up

for you here today

Now many believe that once you break the seal by urinating once during a night of drinking

it increases the number of times you'll have to go to the bathroom throughout that night

Now obviously this is not the case. There is no seal. If there is, you should get that looked at

Alcohol is a diuretic, so it is going to make you have to pee a lot. Breaking the seal has

nothing to do with it. And please, don't pee on marine mammals

Many blame it on the booze when it comes to weight gain and a so-called beer belly

But alcohol doesn't actually make you gain weight. But what explains all this weight I've been gaining

In fact, studies show that women who have a drink or two each day are less prone to weight

gain than those who don't drink or those who sometimes binge drink. Oh, binge drinking, that's what it is

The studies point to a difference in the way alcohol is metabolized in the bodies of women

who drink in moderation. As for the beer belly, that's just a result of calories consumed

Those calories can come from booze, or maybe the half a dozen breakfast burritos you consumed

this week One of the more bizarre myths about alcohol is that the brand Goldschlager contains its little gold flakes because they cut your throat on the way down causing the alcohol to be absorbed quicker and leading you to get drunk faster Bizarre but thankfully untrue

Those gold flakes are just a result of a happy little leprechaun that works in the factory

And while we're on the good news, there is no worm in your tequila. Well, there might be. But it's not necessary for the drink

This was a marketing scheme which originated in Mexico City in the 1940s

And yes, sometimes there is a worm, actually a butterfly larva, particularly in American tequilas

But check the label, and if it doesn't say con gusano, then it's larva-free

Now, some claim that alcohol can make you hallucinate, particularly if you've been drinking absinthe

But absinthe just has a high alcohol content. Hallucinogen? Not included. This myth has historical origins, but it is now believed that early absinthe-related hospitalizations were due to alcoholism, not hallucinations

Sucking on a penny will not help you pass a breathalyzer test

This myth came from the belief that copper somehow conceals the alcohol and fools the breathalyzer

Which, first of all, isn't true. Plus, a penny is only about 2% copper

Here are some other things that won't work. Mints, batteries, protein, and cigarettes

Here's a tip. If you feel as though you'd need assistance passing a breathalyzer test, don't get behind the wheel of a car

Or a golf cart, Bill Murray. Alcohol doesn't improve your performance in bed

Additionally, it may be more of a challenge to arouse and reach orgasm because a lot of alcohol dulls body sensation

In men, alcohol affects blood flow to the penis, which limits their abilities

Now, some claim that despite blacking out from binge drinking, all of their memories from the blackout came back to them in a flash

According to studies, these are actually false memories. Blackouts cannot be recalled

The lines on the popular Red Solo cup do not exist for alcohol measuring The company has claimed time and time again that the lines on their cups were not placed for alcohol measurement Many believe that diet soda in alcoholic drinks doesn get you drunk

But in fact, diet soda causes the body to absorb alcohol quicker

making you drunker faster than you would have been had you mixed it with regular soda

On the other side of the spectrum, people claim that combining energy drinks with alcohol makes you drunker

Turns out this combination just energizes you. Big shock. This may make you feel less intoxicated than you actually are, which typically leads to more drinking

And poor decision making. And maybe you climbed that scaffolding that one time, and then now your friends call it toxic jock syndrome

Do you think that tequila makes you happy, wine makes you sad, or whiskey makes you angry

There is no evidence that the type of alcohol you're drinking can make a different type of drunk

Studies show that the number of drinks and speed of drinking have a much greater effect on your mood than what you happen to be drinking

There is also no scientific evidence that alcohol causes you to tell the truth

Though many experts believe that there is often a connection between drunk claims and sober thoughts

but the jury is still out on this one. It's a misconception that eating a big meal before drinking keeps you sober

Eating does help with the absorption of alcohol in your body, but it delays rather than restricts alcohol from going into the bloodstream

Because of this slow absorption, though, eating a big meal before drinking does help reduce the severity of a next-day hangover

Not so much the case with eating a big meal after drinking, but we'll get to that

Many believe that a nice nightcap before bed helps you sleep. While the drink can help you go to sleep faster, the alcohol makes it so you spend less time in REM or deep sleep

So people who have been drinking tend to sleep lighter and wake up earlier. This fact has solved all the riddles I've been wondering about why my sleep is so poor

Many believe that taking Tylenol before bed after a night of drinking prevents a hangover But any acetaminophen medicine should not be mixed with alcohol If you feel the need to take something go with ibuprofen

But that still won't necessarily prevent your hangover. You can't cure a hangover by drinking more

That just prolongs the hangover. The phrase hair of the dog, in reference to having a drink the next day after a heavy night of drinking the night before

comes from the belief that if you add the hair of a dog that bit you into your medicinal potion

you can drink it and get better, and you won't have rabies. Or herpes

You'll still have herpes. You can't cure a hangover with coffee. The alcohol has already dehydrated you

so adding coffee, another diuretic, only further serves to dehydrate your poor, desperate body

So here we are at the end. Let's talk sobering up. The only way a person sobers up is over time

So if you've already been drinking, the following will not work. Cold shower

Exercise. Fresh air. Coffee. and food. Thank you for watching Mental Floss on YouTube, made with the help of these lovely people. Ha

He looks great. She lost all the baby weight. I know that guy. Dad

Every week we endeavor to answer a mind-blowing question from the comments

This week Tori Parker asks, Where was the first subway system in the US built and why

Great question Tori. The first subway system was the Tremont Street subway in Boston

It was built in 1897 to alleviate traffic in the city. The city of Boston, Massachusetts

America, Earth. My name is Hannah Hart, and if you're in the mood for more inspirations and libations, check out my YouTube channel here

Thanks again for watching, and DFTBA