We’ve all got that friend.
James Bond usually drinks his trademark Vesper Martini, a drink that mixes both gin and vodka, and a recent survey has shown that Bond’s tipple of choice – and that of thousands of other people – might make them sexier to other people.
A new study, published in online journal BMJ Open, suggests that certain alcohols can have an impact on your emotions as well as your behaviour.
The study – which surveyed 30,000 people aged between 18- 34 in over 21 countries – discovered that people who drink spirits, beer and wine all had different answers to questions about their thoughts and feelings.
During the survey, participants were asked to associate different types of booze with the following emotions: energised, relaxed, sexy, confident, tired, aggressive, ill, restless and tearful.
The study, which was conducted by experts at Bangor University and King’s College London, discovered that while spirits such as gin and vodka are linked with aggressive behaviour, they also make people feel sexier.
From those gin drinkers that were surveyed, 59% of them felt energetic and confident, while 42.5% associated the drink with feeling sexy – that’s a higher ratio than other alcoholic drinks.
As for beer drinkers, 50% of participants said that their tipple of choice them feel relaxed, second only to wine.
This being said, there’s an interesting result from this study because it’s clear that excessive consumption of alcohol does lead to an increase in violent tendencies.
“For centuries, the history of rum, gin, vodka and other spirits has been laced with violence,” said Professor Mark Bellis of Bangor University. “This global study suggests even today, consuming spirits is more likely to result in feelings of aggression than other drinks. Spirits are often consumed more quickly and have much higher concentrations of alcohol in them. This can result in a quicker stimulating effect as blood alcohol levels increase,” he said.
Bellis added: “They may also be consumed in different social occasions so people may be drinking them deliberately to feel the drunken effect quickly while other types of drink are more likely to be consumed slowly or with food. Drinking spirits like vodka was linked to feelings of aggression and restlessness – but also gave people a boost of energy and confidence. Beer increased both relaxation and confidence.As people get the kick from escalating alcohol levels, the same increases reduce the brain’s ability to suppress impulsive feelings or to consider the consequences of acting on them.”
As always, if you’re enjoying a drink, please be responsible.
