Liqour 101 - Chemistry
Before jumping deep into this topic, it is important to understand its basics! Of course everyone enjoys drinking it, cocktails are beautiful and tasteful, and all of the sudden you are not shy anymore after a couple of beers, but you really need to know what exactly is happening after drinking an alcoholic beverage!
An alcoholic drink is a beverage that contains a type of alcohol called ethanol. Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that can affect the way you think, feel, and behave. Psychoactive drug affects how the brain works, acts on the central nervous system, and causes changes in mood, awareness, thoughts, feelings, or behavior. Psychoactive drugs can be divided into several categories, including stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and opioids.
Psychoactive Drugs
Without going deep into each of those categories, below is a short description for each category. I highly recommend you to read more about them here.
- Stimulants are psychoactive drugs that increase activity in the body and the brain. Caffeine, amphetamines, and cocaine are some of the examples of stimulants.
- Depressants are psychoactive drugs that slow down activity in the body and the brain. Alcohol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates are some examples of depressants.
- Hallucinogens are psychoactive drugs that alter perception and cause hallucinations. LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline are just a few examples. Can be highly addictive. Read more...
- Opioids are psychoactive drugs that are used to relieve pain and can also produce a sense of pleasure. Opioids include morphine, codeine, and oxycodone are some examples. Can be highly addictive. Read more...
Since I mostly talk about coffee and alcohol in this platform, I'd like to go deeper and talk more about stimulants and depressants. I promise I won't go deeper after this.
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Stimulants
As mentioned above, stimulants increase activity in the body and brain by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. This can lead to increased mental alertness and energy, as well as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world and is generally considered to be safe when consumed in moderation. So, now you know why when you drink too much coffee you might appear jittery.
Depressants
Depressants, on the other hand, slow down activity in the body and the brain by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, such as GABA and serotonin. A range of effects might happen after taking depressants including relaxation, sedation, and pain relief. That's why they are often used to treat anxiety, sleep disorders, and pain, and they are commonly found in medications, dietary supplements, and recreational drugs.
Alcohol is a widely consumed depressant that is found in a variety of alcoholic beverages. It is generally considered to be safe when consumed in moderation, but consuming large amounts of alcohol can lead to negative consequences such as:
- Impairment of judgment and coordination such as risky behaviors
- Negative impact on physical health such as liver damage
- Negative impact on mental health such as depression
- Risk of addiction due to factors like social and environmental factors, mental health, genetics, etc.
- Read more...
