A rare holiday or a sad event in Russia goes without alcohol. Low alcohol drinks are becoming increasingly popular today. They enable the consumer to be “under a small degree,” while not getting drunk. Because of this, many young people do not miss the opportunity to drink a cocktail or beer every night. There is an opinion that the harm of low-alcohol drinks is not so great. Doctors say that the damage caused to health by low-alcohol drinks is sufficient to refuse to use them. But let's take it in order ...
Alcoholic products. Types and composition
The basic classification of alcoholic beverages is based on the amount of alcohol contained. Ethanol is the basis of any alcoholic beverage. Depending on the amount of this clear liquid with a characteristic odor and a burning taste, alcohol products are divided into types.
In high-alcohol drinks, the percentage of ethyl alcohol reaches 96. Strong drinks, such as vodka, cognac, whiskey and rum, contain from 31 to 65% ethyl alcohol. Liquor products and wines belong to medium-alcoholic beverages, which are characterized by an alcohol content of 10 to 30%. Low alcohol drinks contain only from 1.5 to 9% alcohol. The most popular representative of this category is beer.
Ethyl alcohol in Russia is widely used in various fields. In industry, medicine, food industry and the national economy it is impossible to do without it. But on the human body, it acts very detrimental.
Where did strange drinks come from in Russia?
"Long Drink", or drinks that should be drunk for a long time, stretching pleasure, appeared in Russia in the early nineties. The first swallows flew, as expected, from Europe. Unspoiled Russian buyers were attracted by the unusual taste and affordable price of foreign treats. Domestic manufacturers noticed a high demand, simplicity and low cost of technology, so quickly made a serious competition to European brands.
In the history of production of Russian low-alcohol drinks, there have been recessions, crises, prosperity, and import bans. Today, production and foreign deliveries are well established, and there is a huge assortment of low-alcohol drinks on store shelves.
Manufacturers are preparing thoroughly for the onset of summer: they are adding to the list of low-alcohol drinks, creating new tastes, experimenting with packaging, updating the design, and looking for new points of sale.
Than low-alcohol drinks won the love and purses of customers
The vast majority of adult buyers at least once in their life have tried a low-alcohol cocktail, and many have become its true connoisseurs and regular consumers. What is the secret to the popularity of these drinks?
First: a huge selection. The buyer, even with the most unusual gastronomic preferences, can find a drink to his taste. The most common drinks are cocktails with the taste of lemon, orange, grapefruit, raspberries, bananas, exotic fruits and, of course, beer.
Secondly: pricing policy. As noted above, low-alcohol tonic drinks are much more attractive at cost than alcohol of a greater strength.
Third: walking distance. Today on the shelves of any store, supermarket, cafe or club menu there is a huge selection of cocktails.
Fourth: the effect created by the drink is the ability to relax and rest. With this drink, a person can not only quench his thirst, but also, thanks to a small dose of alcohol, relax and relax, not being afraid to get drunk to recklessness.
Of course, low-alcohol tonic drinks are mainly preferred by active youth. Most manufacturers are guided by them when choosing technologies, containers and advertising strategies. People in the older age category prefer stronger drinks and beer.
Toning drinks
Modern man, especially in the metropolis, lives in constant bustle, noise, stress and habits. Including he gets used to be in a trend and live at a frantic pace. Of course, this requires strength and relaxation. But where to get time to rest, how to spend it with benefit and make the body work longer, and the brain is more productive? Many young people use low-alcohol tonic drinks as a “recharge”. The list of popular brands on the market is very extensive.
Non-alcoholic and low alcohol drinks, in which a tonic substance is present, are tonic. Such a component is required very little in order to have an exciting (tonic) effect on the human body.
Energy drinks include carbohydrates, caffeine and plant extracts. These components have a stimulating effect on humans. It is believed that not only harm, but also benefit the body bring low-alcohol tonic drinks. The list of organs that they positively affect is impressive: the digestive system, stomach, intestines, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
But there are categories of consumers who are not recommended to use tonic drinks - these are pregnant women, adolescents, the elderly, as well as people suffering from insomnia or with an unstable psyche. Even a healthy adult should not drink more than one bottle (can) per day.
Popular types of low alcohol drinks in Russia
Increasingly, low-alcohol drinks began to fall into the buyer's basket. Reasonable price, wide choice and relaxing effect of drinking makes them attractive to consumers.
The following drinks are considered the most famous:
Kvass is a traditional Russian drink with a strength of up to 2.5%. To obtain kvass, you need bread or milk sourdough. Lactic and acetic acids give kvass useful properties. It helps to improve digestion, metabolism, as well as normal muscle tone. In addition, it includes a bouquet of vitamins, amino acids and trace elements that have a positive effect on the body. But kvass is contraindicated during pregnancy, lactation, children up to the age of three, as well as people with stomach ulcers and cirrhosis.
Cider and Perry - apple wort and yeast are used to get these drinks. For the manufacture of cider, a special variety of apples is grown, so it is not the cheapest in its category. Perry is considered a variety of cider, only it is based on the fermentation of pear juice.
Champagne - not all such wines are low-alcohol drinks, for some the fortress exceeds a threshold of 9%. Champagne is a drink of celebration and celebration. It is produced by one of the methods: autotrophic or bottle champagne. In a quality drink, the bubbles will be small, not large or medium, as in sparkling water. Champagne is credited with a number of beneficial properties due to the polyphenol, which is part of it. This drink has bactericidal properties, lowers blood pressure and improves blood circulation in the brain. But they quickly get drunk from him, the vesicles can cause rot in the stomach, and when the pregnant women drink champagne, the fetus may develop cerebral palsy.
Wine is one of the noblest drinks. Although most wines are not included in the category of low alcohol drinks, since their mark of fortress starts at 9%. The main raw materials are grapes of different varieties. Distinguish between red and white wine, dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, table, pink. Very often on the shelves you can find a bottle at a very low price, indicating that the basis of the drink is powder. Natural wine really has useful properties, because it contains vitamins, acids, trace elements, antioxidants, iron and other biologically active substances. If you drink wine within reasonable limits, it helps to lower cholesterol, remove toxins from the body. With the abuse of such a drink, a person is threatened with coronary heart disease, diabetes and the development of cancers.
Beer is a low-alcoholic beverage made using barley malt, hops, yeast and water. This product took all the best from cereals: vitamins B 1 , B 2 , B 6 , H, C, K, acids and trace elements. Drinking beer in moderation improves metabolic processes and reduces the risk of malignant tumors.
Koumiss is not a very common drink in Russia, but definitely worthy of attention. This product is made on the basis of mare's milk and, of course, yeast. The strength of such a drink can vary significantly from different manufacturers - from 0.2 to 40%. Koumiss is endowed with useful properties thanks to vitamins, minerals, fats and live sour-milk bacteria that make up its composition. It has a positive effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
- Liquor-based cocktails - Gin-Tonic, Jaguar, Strike, Hooch, Screwdriver, Shake, Revo, Rum Cola, Brandy Cola and much more. There are a large number of such drinks on the shelves, we gave only a few examples. In jars and bottles with such products there are many preservatives.
These are the most popular drinks in our country. If low-alcohol drinks are more carefully considered in cultures of other countries, the list will be much larger.
Large-scale and single-issue low-alcohol drinks
Every customer is aware of the existence of low alcohol drinks. Today there are so many alcoholic products that a rarely drunk citizen can easily get confused in. Let's understand what applies to low-alcohol drinks.
Low alcohol drinks are considered to be drinks whose alcohol content does not exceed 9%. Juices, plant extracts, beekeeping products, grapes and sugar are used in their preparation. Also, the recipe includes flavoring and aromatic additives, dyes and water. Naturally, this is an incomplete list of ingredients for preparing an alcoholic beverage. The production and marketing of alcohol is strictly regulated by the state.
Gardeners have their own secrets of producing drinks of varying degrees of strength. Beer, cocktails, liquors, wine, kvass and other low-alcohol drinks at home are easy to prepare. Home-made producers like to talk about the benefits of their drinks; in any case, you should not abuse such products!
Stages of intoxication
The word "alcohol" came from the Arabic "al kegol", which means "intoxicant." Undoubtedly, alcohol-containing drinks have an intoxicating effect. There are several stages of the influence of alcohol on the body of an adult:
- Stress recedes. Ethyl alcohol in small doses can reduce anxiety, cause euphoria, and liberate a person. Some have improved coordination of movements and attention. At this stage, a person relieves stress. But those who feel much easier with her are at the greatest risk of becoming addicted.
- Feats await heroes. The next stage is arousal. Behavioral control slows down and people crave adventure.
- Rethinking life. This stage is accompanied by oppression. There are cases of the onset of alcoholic coma with a fatal outcome. It is better to stop before this stage, if it was already decided to meet with the "green serpent".
The effect of alcohol on the male body
There is a myth that, unlike hard liquors, low-alcohol products are harmless. Low-alcohol drinks have a negative effect on the male body, the list of consequences of which depends on their composition.
Most often, beer is consumed in large quantities. Consider the result based on it:
- “Beer Belly” is a well-known trait of beer lovers. The deposition of fat in males occurs in the female type and leads to further obesity. The fat formed due to the love of beer breaks down very quickly and enters the liver, forming cholesterol there.
- In the future, atherosclerosis awaits such men, as a result of which the risk of heart attack and stroke increases.
- In men who consume large quantities of beer, gynecomastia develops. It is expressed in an increase in the mammary glands, an increase in the timbre of the voice, cessation of stubble growth, emotional upset and a decrease in libido. Often, as a result of such changes, impotence develops.
To help a man cope with hormonal disruptions and other problems caused by the frequent use of low-alcohol drinks, a healthy lifestyle, diet, and refusal (even a significant reduction) from these dangerous products can help.
The effect of alcohol on the female body
Low alcohol drinks often cause damaging damage to the female body, especially when they are consumed in large quantities. Ladies accustomed to drinking alcohol are threatened by:
- the occurrence of a stroke;
- phlebeurysm;
- decreased mental ability and memory impairment, since alcohol in any dose kills the cells of the human brain;
- gastritis, stomach ulcer;
- hepatitis and cirrhosis;
- a change in figure, deterioration in the color and structure of the skin;
- hormonal disruptions, the development of infertility.
It is better for girls and women to abstain or reduce the dose of alcohol. And there are times when alcohol, even with the smallest alcohol content, should be completely excluded from the diet. The use of low-alcohol drinks during pregnancy or lactation is strictly contraindicated!
The effect of alcohol on children and adolescents
Of course, if we talk about kvass and kefir, in which fermentation is also present, then parents give these products to children without thinking. When it comes to alcohol-containing drinks, it is worth remembering their effect on the children's body and not allow the child to even taste it.
Keeping track of a teenager is very difficult. Young boys and girls are eager to try adulthood and entertainment. But the harm of low-alcohol drinks is colossal, it needs to be explained and “hammered” to your child. A strong blow to an unformed organism can lead to tragedy. This is not only about fatal cases, it also refers to illness, mental and mental disorder, infertility and impotence.
Law and low alcohol drinks
Many countries have introduced various prohibitions on low alcohol and tonic drinks.
In Russia, the legislation provides for penalties for such violations:
- drinking alcohol, including low alcohol drinks in the wrong places;
- sale of alcohol in the wrong places;
- sale of alcohol after 22:00;
- non-compliance with advertising restrictions;
- neglect of age restrictions when selling and drinking alcohol.
The state’s struggle with alcoholic products is inextricably linked with the promotion of such products, since their producers are serious taxpayers.
To drink or not to drink, everyone decides for himself. But we must remember that momentary weakness can have an irreparable effect on a person. If you abuse even low-alcohol drinks, the body will not forgive you for this!