They are so different, although they have one name - alcohol. But one of them - methyl - is intended for technical purposes, therefore it is used in production processes. And ethyl is in demand in the food and medical industries. In the article, we will consider which alcohol you can drink - ethyl or methyl, and what will be the consequences.
The treachery of ethanol
Although ethyl alcohol is used in the food industry, it has a very destructive effect on the body. Ethanol - a colorless volatile liquid - refers to a chemical compound of the class of alcohols. His danger is that he has a narcotic effect on a person. Moreover, alcohol is able to affect the cerebral cortex, weakening the processes of inhibition, which leads to a typical alcoholic excitement.
Ethyl alcohol has neurotropic activity. This means that it has the ability to disrupt brain activity. Once together with alcohol in the human body, it penetrates the cellular receptors of the brain. When consuming a large amount, poisoning occurs with both ethyl and methyl alcohol.
A small molecule can do a lot of trouble
The ethanol molecule is very small, therefore it easily penetrates everywhere: it is not difficult to absorb it. Having impregnated the cellular structures of the brain, it causes its liquefaction, and once it enters the stomach, it penetrates many systems and tissues of the body. Intoxication begins.
But all the body's defenses come to the fight, complex biochemical processes are launched, as a result of which more than 90 percent of ethyl alcohol is oxidized under the influence of a certain oxidizing agent, called abbreviated NAD. However, it is required not to combat the effects of alcohol, but to help in the production of testosterone. And if a man is too keen on absorbing alcohol, then this important hormone in his blood is not enough.
It leads to:
- impotence;
- destruction of the glandular part of the prostate gland with subsequent violation of its function;
- feminization, that is, the effemination of the male body.
If the nursing mother immediately takes 100 ml of vodka, ethanol will freely enter the mammary glands, and during the next feeding, the baby may begin to experience severe intoxication.
In a pregnant woman, after taking alcohol, ethanol enters from the blood through diffusion into the circulatory system of the emerging embryo, and malformations begin to develop, which in the medical world are called alcohol embryopathy syndrome. In this case, the answer to the question of which alcohol is dangerous - ethyl or methyl is obvious.
In order not to lose the human face
Since alcohol has a toxic effect on organs, often a drinker gets sick with cirrhosis, hepatitis or peptic ulcer.
Scientists have determined that even after taking 50 ml of vodka with a person, the following occurs:
- reflexes are reduced;
- the pace of speech and articulation changes;
- pupils react poorly to light;
- the assessment of the real situation is distorted;
- emotional disturbances occur either in the form of unnatural euphoria, or bitterness.
When a person relieves nervous tension with alcohol, he does not realize that, by extinguishing emotional tension, it helps to fix the attitude to more frequent use of alcoholic beverages. It doesn’t matter which alcohol they drink: ethyl or methyl. This is because ethanol acts simultaneously on the antipodes that are located in the brain:
- to the punishment center, suppressing its activity;
- to the center of pleasure, giving him cause for euphoria.
There can be no methyl in alcohol
Alcoholic beverages are the primary mixture of ethyl alcohol and water, into which components are added using various technologies, and with their help, alcohol acquires a certain taste and smell. And never methyl alcohol, if all the technologies are followed, will not appear in alcoholic beverages, since only ethyl alcohol in reasonable quantities does not pose a mortal threat to human health.
Pure ethanol can also be drunk. But then negative consequences should be expected from the fact that the mucous membranes of the throat and stomach were burned, and the degree of intoxication exceeded the expected consequences. This is the answer to the question of whether drinking alcohol is ethyl or methyl.
The ability to drink properly
As there are norms of a culture of behavior, there is also a culture of drinking alcohol.
The basic rules are:
- Do not drink on an empty stomach.
- It is not recommended to drink alcohol in one gulp, in large portions, you need to drink slowly.
- Do not mix several types of alcohol, as different liquids have different effects on the human body. As a result, instead of the expected pleasure, you can earn a heavy hangover.
- You need to remember what dose will be sufficient, and be limited to it.
- The control. It is necessary that alcohol intoxication does not affect behavior that will be poorly controlled. Ethanol is able to reduce the critical attitude to reality, the ability to think rationally.
- Ability to refuse the proposed glass if the body has enough alcohol already received. It is necessary to categorically refuse in time, in order not to subsequently experience a severe feeling of a hangover or, worse, poisoning.
With excessive doses of alcohol drunk, it no longer matters how ethanol differs from methyl alcohol; poisoning will occur in any case.
Consequences of Methanol
Methanol, once in the body, is absorbed by the stomach quite quickly. A reaction occurs: its decomposition into formic acid and formaldehyde. After this, general intoxication begins, pathologies occur in the digestive tract, the vital activity of the cells is blocked and stopped.
Since almost all alcohol is excreted by the kidneys, the entire urinary system is affected, the work of the nervous system is paralyzed. If the dose of methyl alcohol was excessively large, it is almost impossible to save a person - the symptoms are growing too rapidly.
The first signs of pathology are:
- vomiting reflexes, nausea;
- headache;
- heart palpitations, shortness of breath;
- flashing flies;
- soreness in the abdomen;
- the skin is pale or too pink;
- sweating
- change in heart rate and pressure.
If the dose was not fatal, after a few days, vision falls, blindness may occur, head and legs hurt, and a frequent loss of consciousness is noted.
Coma
When considering the question of which alcohol should not be drunk - ethyl or methyl, it becomes clear that methyl even in small doses is dangerous to health.
When a superficial coma occurs, the patient has the following dangerous signs:
- vomiting and hiccups;
- the skin is cold and sweaty;
- urinary incontinence;
- movement of the eyeballs is impaired;
- disturbed verbal communication.
Deep coma - a very serious condition, characterized by:
- lack of pain;
- marble skin tone;
- swelling of the eyelids;
- dilatation of the pupils;
- the appearance of seizures;
- the development of tachycardia.
What is the difference between the formula
It is impossible to visually distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol , but whoever tries it can be cruelly paid, since the human body takes it as the most dangerous toxic enemy, even in minimal doses. You can not only completely lose sight, but also life. When people are interested in ethyl or methyl alcohol is harmful, we can definitely say: methyl is strictly prohibited in any doses.
Doctors warn that already 100 ml of methanol is a lethal dose for many people. But the taste, smell, color of this type of alcohol does not seem to be any different from ethyl. Therefore, there are several ways by which you can check, in case of doubt, what kind of alcohol is in the bottle: food or deadly technical.
Chemists can easily distinguish these species from each other according to the formulas:
- CH 3 OH is methyl alcohol;
- C 2 H 5 OH - ethyl alcohol.
The answer to the question of which alcohol can be drunk - ethyl or methyl, is understandable: only ethyl refers to food products, the main thing is not to be confused.
Here are some checks you can arrange yourself:
- Burn a small amount of liquid gently in a non-flammable container. Ethyl alcohol will burn, giving a blue flame color, and methanol a green color.
- Cut ordinary raw potatoes, put it in a container with alcohol, leave for several hours. If the potato slice turns pink, then it is methyl alcohol. And food ethanol will leave potatoes the same white.
- Prepare the copper wire, giving it a spiral shape at the end. Heat on a fire and immediately dip in alcohol. If it is technical - methyl, you can smell formaldehyde, it smells harsh and very unpleasant. The smell of ethanol resembles vinegar.
- Using soda. If ethyl alcohol, a yellow precipitate will appear. It will dissolve in methyl soda.
- By boiling. A thermometer will help: ethanol boils at a temperature of 78 degrees Celsius, methanol - already at 64 ° C.
Being interested in the question of which alcohol you can drink - ethyl or methyl, you need to remember that the use of any alcoholic beverages is harmful to health, and technical fluids are life-threatening.
Stronger than ethanol
There is also isopropyl alcohol. This liquid has a characteristic odor of alcohol, but it is more pronounced than that of ethanol. Therefore, it is not difficult to distinguish these species, especially to a specialist. For humans, in small doses, it is usually not dangerous. But if exposure occurs systematically when ingested, its toxic effect will eventually manifest. This is due to the fact that isopropanol is metabolized in the liver to acetone.
This type of alcohol can cause severe intoxication, since its effect is 10 times stronger than that of ethanol. As a result, a person can fall into an alcoholic trance without having to drink a lethal dose, which is why fatalities occur less often. Isopropyl alcohol has a narcotic effect, in its strength exceeds the action of ethanol twice.
When wondering which alcohol you can drink - ethyl or methyl, you need to clearly understand that only ethyl alcohol is recognized as a food product.
Isopropyl alcohol, like many other types, is also not a food product. He is involved in the industrial production of cosmetics and perfumes, during the welding of optical fibers and cutting aluminum, is added to solvents for automobiles, and is a part of many chemical household products.