There are myths about everything - don’t swim right after eating or you’ll get a cramp.. Bananas grow on trees. Bats are blind. Don’t wake a sleepwalker. These are all false, yet many of us have believed them at one point or another. The same goes with myths about alcohol. How many of us have followed the “beer before liquor, never been sicker” rule? Or, ate a greasy pizza before bed to avoid a hangover? Sorry to break it to you, but these are just more myths. Here are five of the most common myths about alcohol and the truth about these misconceptions:

Myth: Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Reality: The amount you drink matters more than the types of drinks and the order. Drinking too much of any alcohol too quickly will make you sick, whether it’s wine, beer, or liquor. Pacing is key.

Myth: Eating before going to sleep will reduce a hangover. Reality: That late-night pizza stop won’t do much to prevent your hangover. If you want food to help slow down alcohol absorption, you’ll need to eat something before you start drinking.

Myth: Alcohol and energy drinks make you drunker. Reality: Energy drinks change how we perceive our intoxication level, but they have no impact on the alcohol we consume. The caffeine in energy drinks masks the sedative effects of alcohol that usually cue us to stop drinking, making us think we have more energy than we do and making us think we can keep drinking.

Myth: Drinking beer gives you a beer belly. Reality: It can, but so can anything you consume in excess. Most beer bellies are just due to excessive calories from any source, not necessarily beer.

Myth: Don’t break the seal or you’ll go to the bathroom all night. Reality: Drinking alcohol will make you go to the bathroom more frequently. It’s a diuretic, so more water is squeezed out of our bodies and that extra fluid is sent to our bladder. But, this has nothing to do with how long you wait to go to the bathroom.

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