What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#161

Post by tharkun__ » Mon, Aug 22, 2022, 10:49 PM UTC

jononomo wrote: post #123

Steve44 wrote: post #119

One thing I've not seen mentioned in this thread is the enjoyment you can get from the wide expanse of flavours & mouthfeels of different alcoholic drinks. Most of the comments seem to be focussed on people drinking either to help with social anxiety or just to blot the world out, or as one poster put it "to dissociate with reality". I really love exploring different drinks, mainly beers and spirits although I do sti…

My experience has been that if I adjust my diet to remove all carbs, which is close to the diet that human beings evolved on, then any alcoholic beverage tastes like poison to me and the hangover comes on faster. The buzz is also worse -- just woozy and sick feeling. Once you clean up your diet you'll lose your taste for alcohol. Your body really can't tolerate alcohol in any amount and once you've eliminated the oth…

I had absolutely no issues with a fine tasting scotch on <20g carbs (i.e. just accidental carbs from what's in the veggies I ate.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#162

Post by Mtinie » Mon, Aug 22, 2022, 11:14 PM UTC

mbg721 wrote: post #152

Mtinie wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alcohol as a “cultural lubricant” has been with us for as long as humans have had oral histories passed down. The alcoholic beverage lobbies around the world are politically powerful and have very entrenched interests within countries. The United States attempted to ban it during Prohibition. That social experiment lasted 13 years before it was repealed. If you’d like to understand what makes your proposal for a unil…

One reason why Prohibition didn't work (and why alcohol has been culturally significant for so long) is that alcoholic beverages are ridiculously easy to make. If you have fruit or grain, a container, and some time...

Attempting to regulate alcohol, as you note, is a fool’s errand.

Regulation isn’t the answer. It will take centuries of messaging and a shift in consumption patterns before it’s not profitable to commercially produce. Possibly.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#163

Post by patrick451 » Mon, Aug 22, 2022, 11:44 PM UTC

wheelerof4te wrote: post #46

beebmam wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What specifically is BS in the video? Could you be specific?

The fact that alcohol is sold in stores en masse, but it's somehow so bad that it kills cells? If it is so bad, why isn't it banned in every country in the world? Beer is even considered food in some countries. I don't see any evidence for his theories mentioned in the video.

> The fact that alcohol is sold in stores en masse, but it's somehow so bad that it kills cells?

If you think that mass availability is an indicator of safety, I have carton of Marlboros to sell you.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#164

Post by patrick451 » Mon, Aug 22, 2022, 11:58 PM UTC

selectodude wrote: post #16

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #8

The science has been in a long time that no amount of alcohol is healthy. Despite overwhelming experimental, historical and anecdotal evidence, 60% of Americans drink ~4 drinks per week - which luckily is on the decline. Something is seriously wrong with humanity if poisoning ourselves regularly to dissociate with reality remains this popular as a core social component. People will point to all of the supposed "socia…

We've been drinking alcohol for 8000 years now so I wish you the best of luck on your crusade to show that it's "something wrong with humanity".

Humans have done a lot of things for thousands of years that modern sensibilities now find unsavory. Slavery, human sacrifice, purchasing a bride, and to a lesser extent religion in general.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#165

Post by Mtinie » Tue, Aug 23, 2022, 12:03 AM UTC

kloch wrote: post #102

Alcohol killed my dad. It's an absolutely horrific way to die. Your organs shut down one by one over an extremely painful two month period. Family members can do nothing except watch. You can't even donate part of your liver, medial ethics disallow any organ transplants for alcoholics unless you are really rich/powerful/politically connected. As soon as you see them with yellow skin (Jaundice), you know their fate is…

I’m sorry for your losses.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#166

Post by Mtinie » Tue, Aug 23, 2022, 12:14 AM UTC

dh2022 wrote: post #142

Mtinie wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Congratulations. You’ve found your ideal dosage for your unique situation. For many of us, one drink leads to more drinks at which point the physiological and psychological changes covered in the linked article become amplified.

Speak for yourself, do not speak for me.

I don’t speak for you, nor do I present as such. I speak for the hundreds of people I personally know who my statement describes. Those are the many.

I’m sure there are others out there I’m not aware of, but I can’t speak for them.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#167

Post by InDemoVeritas » Tue, Aug 23, 2022, 12:18 AM UTC

Judgmentality wrote: post #42

AAWorks wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AA was my solution vs the slow suicidal death by alcohol.

I should join AA if I have social anxiety or existential dread? Considering GP's comment, this is a worthless response. Also it wouldn't even apply to people that don't drink, such as myself. I'm glad AA helped you but you chose the wrong comment to reply to.

Yes. The 12 steps are a self directed self paced investigation of self and/in society. The community is welcoming, with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Humility, sharing of suffering and joy, laughter. YMMV

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#168

Post by ilaksh » Tue, Aug 23, 2022, 12:25 AM UTC

The weird thing as I see it is that somehow the alcohol lobby has convinced an entire society that anyone who runs into severe consequences from routinely ingesting this drug (alcohol) is literally genetically deficient. Pretty much the opposite of the how people react to most drugs, for example opioid pain killers.

It's a very powerful psychological tool for promoting alcohol consumption and suppressing anti-alcohol messaging. It may even make some people continue drinking just to prove that they can "handle it" and are not genetic failures. Or even prevent people from admitting they decided to stop drinking, because someone may conclude that you are therefore genetically flawed (alcoholic).

This particular aspect is probably one of the things I hate most about our culture.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#169

Post by fomine3 » Tue, Aug 23, 2022, 12:25 AM UTC

mstipetic wrote: post #81

To flip the question, why would you like a long and healthy life? Are you happy about the world you're sending your kids into? What do you tell them about the world?

short and healthy-ish life is fine, long and unhealthy life is the worst.

Re: What alcohol does to your body, brain and health [video]

#170

Post by ilaksh » Tue, Aug 23, 2022, 12:27 AM UTC

Steve44 wrote: post #119

One thing I've not seen mentioned in this thread is the enjoyment you can get from the wide expanse of flavours & mouthfeels of different alcoholic drinks. Most of the comments seem to be focussed on people drinking either to help with social anxiety or just to blot the world out, or as one poster put it "to dissociate with reality". I really love exploring different drinks, mainly beers and spirits although I do sti…

That is ridiculous. Alcohol tastes like poison. It does not in any way enhance the flavor of any beverage. Small dilute amounts just are less noticable.