There is one curious episode in the movie Peter FM. In a conversation, one man tells another that his girlfriend is not smoking or drinking, a very strange question follows this statement: "Is she sick?" Unfortunately, a completely non-drinker is becoming a rarity in this world. A bottle of wine or vodka on the table can be seen in almost all people, sometimes without any reason at all.
No one says that it is necessary to completely abandon alcohol, but the fact is that not everyone knows how to drink alcohol without the harm to their health. Drinking culture is something that everyone who takes alcohol should know. In what doses does alcohol not harm the body, but is it beneficial? What you need to know so that the effects of alcohol do not become a disaster? Why do people drink alcohol? Many foreigners say that drunkenness is a native Russian trait. Is it really? When and where did alcohol first appear ?
A bit of history
When alcohol appeared, it is difficult to determine. It is only known that this happened a long time ago. In some tribes of ancient people, there were ceremonies of communication with the gods and spirits of the dead. They used alcohol. It was made from honey, grapes and berries.
The first spirits to appear was beer. They began to cook it in Babylon, approximately VII thousand years BC. e. Countries in which this drink was very popular are Ancient Greece and Egypt. Every day, residents ate: bread, onions and beer.
Alcohol - what does this word mean?
Translated from Arabic, this means - intoxicating. It was this people that got alcohol at the beginning of the 7th century. There are a huge number of legends associated with its appearance. One of them says that a monk named Valentius once made a drink. After drinking it, he became very intoxicated. And after he came to himself, he said that he had found a remedy that could give vigor and strength.
"Domostroy" and the attitude to alcohol
The very first Russian book on the rules of life stated that "drunkards of the kingdom of God will not inherit." The attitude of society towards people who love to drink was sharply negative. The drunkard was criticized in every way, and it was a great shame to make friendship with him. In the middle of the 15th century, vodka was invented in Russia. Its original name is bread, since it was made on bread alcohol. Vodka producers in Russia kept the recipe a secret. With her invention for another hundred years, there were almost no cases of abuse.
But from the middle of the 16th century, establishments where you could eat were closed all over the country, and taverns began to open, in which only alcohol was sold. Therefore, the question of why people drink alcohol, no longer stood. They simply had nothing left to do, and how could it be otherwise if alcohol poured around, and the poor man had nowhere else to go. Alcohol prices were quite low, so even the poorest person could come to the tavern.
The most common myths about alcohol
In order to somehow justify the craving for alcohol, various arguments in his defense were invented. Their existence lifted many of the bans, and the answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol was not so important. Consider these arguments:
- Alcohol helps to recover from colds. Alcohol dilates blood vessels, so for a short time there is relief, which passes after a few hours, and the person only gets worse. In addition, in people who regularly take alcohol, immunity is reduced, and, as a result, the risk of contracting various diseases increases.
- A timid and shy person can forget about their complexes if you take alcohol. But the problem cannot be solved like that. Sooner or later, sobering sets in, and awareness of one’s behavior can lead to depression.
- You can easily cope with a bad mood. In fact, alcohol can make a person even more depressed. Many suicides committed suicide while intoxicated.
- Helps to fall asleep quickly. Of course, you can fall asleep, but such a dream will not bring health benefits. If you constantly take alcohol to get rid of insomnia, then in the end it will lead to serious health problems and sleep.
- Beer is not a liquor, and it is very healthy to drink. Recently, such varieties have been produced in which the proportion of alcohol is from 10 degrees and above. If you drink a bottle of this beer, it will have the same effect as a glass of vodka.
There are such reasons for drunkenness
"Wake, celebration, meeting, seeing off,
Christening, wedding and divorce,
Frost, hunting, new year,
Recovery, housewarming,
Sadness, remorse, fun,
Success, reward, new rank
And just drinking - for no reason! "
Samuel Yakovlevich Marshak in his poem very well listed all the reasons why people drink. They can be divided into several categories. So why do people drink alcohol?
- The emotional factor. When a person is tired or very upset by something, a desire to relax appears. For many people, alcohol is the first and most effective way to relieve fatigue and stress.
- The psychological factor. Indecisive and insecure people very often take alcohol in order to make important decisions.
- The social factor. At weddings, birthdays and other holidays, it is not customary to do without alcohol. A non-drinker is looked upon with condemnation, at best with pity. In order not to look like a "black sheep", you have to drink with everyone. But there is another way out of the situation, to change their environment to one in which everyone has the right to do what he wants.
- The so-called tasting factor. There are people who like this or that alcoholic drink. Its taste, smell, color. They drink one glass of wine or a glass of brandy, enjoying the process itself. Alcohol prices do not bother them at all.
How to drink alcohol
Should I give up alcohol at all? A smaller part of humanity, familiar with such a concept as a culture of drinking, does this not only without harm to health, but also with benefits to the body. Quality alcohol will not be harmful if you adhere to the following rules:
- The most important rule when drinking alcohol, and any moderation. Only in small doses, alcohol will not harm health. Scientists have experimentally proven that consuming 100 g of strong drinks or 300 g of wine per day will not harm the male body, women need to reduce the amount of alcohol by almost half.
- Do not drink on an empty stomach, as the blood alcohol content increases. Fatty foods reduce the risk of intoxication.
- Everyone knows that they start drinking alcohol with weak drinks, moving to stronger ones. But for some reason, many people forget this simple rule. Remember that if you drank a glass of vodka or brandy, you should not drink wine or champagne after that. Neglecting this rule will result in a severe morning headache.
- You want to avoid nausea and vomiting, after feasts do not bite alcohol with fruit. Let it be: meat, fish, sandwiches with sausage, cheese, smoked meats.
- It is very harmful to drink strong alcoholic drinks with sparkling water. It increases the rate of alcohol entering the bloodstream.
Types of Alcoholic Beverages
All alcoholic beverages are usually divided by the number of degrees in them. Based on this, they are: weak, medium and strong. In turn, each species has a huge number of varieties.
Low alcohol include: beer, kvass, cider. The alcohol content in such drinks does not exceed 8 degrees.
Medium alcohol - wine, punch, grog, etc. Fortress no more than 20 degrees.
Among the strongest alcoholic drinks: vodka, cognac, rum, tequila and others. The alcohol content can reach up to 80 degrees.
Consequences of alcohol
- With systematic abuse of alcohol, the likelihood of developing serious illness increases. These include: cirrhosis, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and other organs of the body.
- Increased irritability, fatigue, aggressiveness.
- The number of traumatic situations on the road is increasing.
- In women who often take alcohol, a strong dependence on alcohol begins. Children born to such mothers are sick more often than their peers from non-drinking mothers.
- The death of brain cells, as a result, mental degradation.
- There are problems in relationships in the family. A person loses the ability to soberly assess the situation, make the right decisions.
- There is an addiction to alcohol.
Curious Facts About Alcohol
- In ancient Greece, the most revered of the gods was Dionysus. Every year, in his honor, holidays were held, in which alcohol was drunk in large quantities.
- In Russia they drank only mash and mead, sometimes beer. They drank on major holidays, drinking different types of alcoholic beverages on ordinary days was considered unacceptable.
- One of the reasons people drink alcohol is the remembrance of the dead.
- If in Uruguay you are driving while intoxicated, then you will have a mitigating circumstance in case of traffic violations.
- Most of the people who drink beer are not in Germany, as many believe, but in the Czech Republic.
- Types of alcoholic drinks are in the hundreds, but vodka is considered the most popular.
- The most non-drinker of famous people is considered Adolf Hitler.
- Duplicates of alcohol make the highest quality, using the same technologies as the originals, the difference is only in price.
- The first can beer was sold in 1935.
- Alcohol is present not only in grapes, but also in ripe bananas, many varieties of apples and some types of vegetables.
Oh it's red wine
Doctors have long proved that any alcohol is harmful to the human body. But there is one alcoholic beverage that can be of great benefit if consumed in reasonable quantities. This is red dry wine.
Firstly, it is capable of disastrous effects on bacteria living in our body.
Secondly, dry red wine contains a large number of minerals: iron, zinc, chromium and others.
Thirdly, it has beneficial effects on the heart and blood vessels. It also strengthens the immune system and increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
Top 5 most drinking countries in the world
Fifth place is Germany. In this country, alcohol can be drunk in public places. The most popular drink is beer. Various festivals and holidays are dedicated to him. The most famous is Oktoberfest. It is carried out in October, for two weeks, celebrating the harvest.
On the 4th place is Denmark. The country is very loyal to alcohol, and about 90 percent of Danes over 14 openly drink.
The third place is occupied by the Czech Republic. Here is the largest amount of beer consumption per capita.
In second place is France. A rare meal costs the French without a glass of wine. The most famous champagne is sold here, duplicates of alcohol can be found in Russia.
In 1st place is Ireland. Studies have shown that half of the country's population consumes alcohol at least once a week.
What to do with a hangover
Most of humanity at least once in their life abused alcohol in the evening, and in the morning suffered from hangover syndromes. There are simple ways that can ease your condition.
- Empty your stomach by drinking as much salted or mineral water as possible.
- With nausea, activated charcoal will help.
- The alternation of a cold and a warm shower will improve the general condition.
- Take a walk in the fresh air.
Each person answers the question: "Is it possible to drink alcohol?" This is not the most important thing. After all, you can take one glass of good wine at dinner, or you can drink a whole bottle.
Drinking culture is what every self-respecting person and those around him should be familiar with. Health is the most invaluable gift bestowed upon a person, and it is unforgivable to do anything harmful to him.