Fact or fiction about alcohol in the summer

Drinking alcohol in the summer feels different than in the winter. Long evenings in the garden or on the terrace and barbecuing until you can't say porridge anymore. But that sun on your head, while you enjoy (several) wines or beers, does it influence, for example, how drunk you get? And is it true that you tan in the sun if you drink alcohol? We come with answers.

1. You get drunk faster in the sun

Let's dispel that myth right away: you don't get drunk faster in the sun. At least not by the sun itself. It is true that you can drink more, because you are warm. Your thirst increases. Because you drink more and faster, you get drunk sooner…

What is absolutely not a myth and is related to the sun is the increased risk of dehydration from drinking alcohol in the sun. Here's how: alcohol removes moisture from your body and stimulates dehydration (read: you go to the toilet more often). You also sweat in full sun. So that's double moisture loss. This moisture loss quickly develops into moisture deficiency. Resulting in dehydration.

2. Mosquitoes think you taste better when you've had alcohol.

That's right! People who drink alcohol are more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes than people who don't drink alcohol. Your alcohol break ensures that you are less bothered by mosquito bites. Isn't that zzzzzzzupper? This has to do with the smell that you (not now) spread when you drink alcohol.

Japanese research (2002) showed that the strong odor you emit when you drink alcohol attracts mosquitoes. The study consisted of a test group of twelve people between the ages of 20 and 58. The sweat and temperature of the group were measured in advance. Then everyone drank 350 ml of beer of 5.5% alcohol and the sweat and temperature were checked again.

During the study, the group of twelve was in a room where mosquitoes were also flying around. Because mosquitoes can't see very well, they have to rely on their sense of smell to track a target. And when someone smells strongly, it means that you are a very much alive person with a recognizable smell. The Japanese researchers found a link between drinking alcohol and the amount of mosquito bites. A tip for after your break: drink your beer under a mosquito net; )

3. You tan faster in the sun if you drink alcohol.

No, that is not true. Although there is an explanation why people think this. Dermatologist Menno Gaastra: “Alcohol causes the blood vessels to expand high in the skin. Therefore, the blood vessels flow better and the skin becomes redder. This may make you look tanned, but it's really just the redness from the alcohol you're seeing. Listen here the entire item that EenVandaag made around this question.