Does Drinking Water with Alcohol Make You Less Drunk?
We’ve all been there, right? You’re out with friends, having a good time, and suddenly someone suggests you drink water between alcoholic drinks to avoid getting too drunk. But does it actually work? Does drinking water with alcohol really make you less drunk? Let’s dive into this common belief and find out if it holds up scientifically and practically.
The Basics: How Alcohol Affects Your Body
To understand whether water helps reduce alcohol's effects, it’s essential to first know how alcohol affects your body.
Alcohol and the Bloodstream
When you drink alcohol, it enters your bloodstream and travels to your brain, affecting your central nervous system. It slows down brain function, which leads to feelings of relaxation, dizziness, and eventually, intoxication. The more alcohol you consume, the stronger these effects become.
Now, here’s the kicker: alcohol dehydrates your body. It increases urination, which leads to dehydration. This dehydration is one of the reasons you feel sluggish, dizzy, and sometimes even sick after drinking. It’s not just the alcohol; it’s the lack of hydration that makes the hangover worse the next day.
Does Drinking Water Help?
So, does water really help you stay sober longer or avoid getting too drunk? Well, technically, no.
Water Doesn’t Lower Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)
The key thing to remember is that water doesn’t lower your blood alcohol content (BAC). Once alcohol is in your bloodstream, it’s there to stay for a while. The body processes alcohol at a fixed rate—typically about one standard drink per hour. So, while drinking water doesn’t speed up this process, it does help with hydration, which can reduce the severity of some side effects of alcohol consumption, like headaches or dizziness.
Water Can Slow the Onset of Intoxication
What water can do, however, is slow down the rate at which you feel drunk. If you drink water between alcoholic beverages, you’re essentially pacing yourself. The water fills you up, making it harder to drink as much alcohol in a short period. This can help you feel less drunk in the moment because you’re not consuming alcohol as quickly.
Actually, I tried this the last time I went out with a group of friends. We were at a bar, and I decided to alternate between water and my usual beer. I noticed that I didn’t feel as tipsy as quickly, and I didn’t end up feeling hungover the next day either. But, remember, it wasn’t that the water made me “less drunk”—it just slowed down the alcohol intake, which kept things manageable.
The Role of Water in Hydration
Drinking water alongside alcohol is mainly about hydration. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee more than usual. As a result, you can become dehydrated, which contributes to the feelings of fatigue and nausea often associated with drinking.
Preventing Hangovers
Drinking water helps prevent dehydration, which is a big factor in hangovers. By staying hydrated throughout the night, you’re less likely to wake up with a splitting headache or a dry mouth. It’s not going to prevent the alcohol from making you feel drunk, but it can make your experience a little more bearable.
A friend of mine swears by the "one-to-one" rule: for every alcoholic drink, he drinks one glass of water. He says it’s helped him avoid the worst of the hangover symptoms. While it’s not a magic cure, it certainly seems to help him the next morning.
The Bottom Line: Water Won’t Make You Less Drunk, But It Helps
Honestly, the idea that water can make you less drunk is more of a myth. Once alcohol is in your system, there’s no magic trick to making it leave faster. Drinking water won’t lower your BAC or get you sober quicker.
However, it does help in a few important ways:
- Slows down alcohol consumption: By drinking water between alcoholic beverages, you’re pacing yourself, which means you’re less likely to get drunk too quickly.
- Helps with hydration: Alcohol dehydrates your body, and drinking water can help prevent some of the uncomfortable side effects, like headaches and dizziness.
- Reduces hangover severity: Staying hydrated can make your hangover less intense the next day, though it won’t eliminate it entirely.
So, next time you’re out drinking, feel free to drink water, but don’t rely on it to keep you from getting drunk. It’s about moderation, pacing, and, of course, knowing your limits.
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Is 172 cm good for a man?
Yes it is. Average height of male in India is 166.3 cm (i.e. 5 ft 5.5 inches) while for female it is 152.6 cm (i.e. 5 ft) approximately. So, as far as your question is concerned, aforesaid height is above average in both cases.
Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?
The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.
Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?
How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).
How tall is a average 15 year old?
Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years
| Male Teens: 13 - 20 Years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 Years | 112.0 lb. (50.8 kg) | 64.5" (163.8 cm) |
| 15 Years | 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg) | 67.0" (170.1 cm) |
| 16 Years | 134.0 lb. (60.78 kg) | 68.3" (173.4 cm) |
| 17 Years | 142.0 lb. (64.41 kg) | 69.0" (175.2 cm) |
How to get taller at 18?
Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.
Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?
Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).
Can you grow between 16 and 18?
Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.
Can you grow 1 cm after 17?
Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.