Alcohol myths, checked
What people believe about a drink and their night, why it sounds right, and what's true.
No A drink a day is good for you
The benefit came from comparing drinkers with sick ex-drinkers. Fixed, it disappears, and a drink a day still adds cancer risk, blood pressure and AFib risk.
Not the way you think A nightcap helps you sleep
Not the way you think. It only sped up falling asleep at about four to five drinks. Even two cut REM in 27 studies, and the second half of the night gets broken.
No Your body clears one drink an hour
No. The liver clears 10 to 20 mg/100 mL an hour in most people, so one US drink takes about 2 to 3.5 hours. At one an hour, it stacks up.
No Coffee or a cold shower sobers you up
No. Coffee, a cold shower or a walk doesn't lower the alcohol in your blood. In a lab study, caffeine made drinkers feel more alert but left them impaired.
No A glass of red wine a day is good for your heart
No. Light drinkers looked healthier because of how they lived. In the genes of 371,463 people, light drinking nudged heart risk up and heavier drinking raised it fast.
Not the way you think Moderate drinkers live longer than people who don't drink
86 of 107 studies counted former or occasional drinkers as non-drinkers. Corrected, light drinking showed no lower risk of dying. A 2024 review still found one.
No Beer before liquor, never sicker
No. In a trial of 90 people drinking beer and wine, neither the order nor the type changed the hangover. How drunk they got, and whether they vomited, did.
Sort of A big meal soaks up the alcohol
Sort of. Drinking after a meal gave a peak about a third lower and cleared about 2 hours sooner in a lab study. A big evening still runs well into the night.
Yes, but Clear drinks give you smaller hangovers
Yes, but only the hangover. At the same blood level, people felt worse after bourbon than vodka. Their sleep and next-day focus took the same hit either way.
Sort of Water between drinks prevents a hangover
Sort of. Water during the evening helped only a little, and water the next day didn't help. After a big night, logged hydration came with a slightly lower heart rate.
