Collegiate Times

"Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you're in the clear."

We all have heard this clever little rhyme before, and for some of us, it is a weekend mantra repeated over and over again.

There are many alcohol myths out there, from supposed hangover cures to the highly intoxicating effect of Diet Cola mixed drinks. I decided to do a little research on some commonly accepted truths about alcohol to find out if any of these myths really have basis in fact.

Myth One: Drinking alcohol can cause weight gain and a "beer belly."

It's true that alcohol has calories, but that doesn't mean that you will gain weight. Research done by several groups of doctors that has been published in the American Journal of Public Health and the International Journal of Obesity suggests that alcohol actually does not contribute to weight gain and can even cause some weight loss in women (but not enough to really make a difference).

The reason for this is unclear, but some have suggested that the calories in alcohol aren't used well by the body and alcohol increases metabolic rate, according to www.potsdam.edu.

If you feel like you're gaining weight from alcohol, it's probably actually coming from the 2 a.m. pizza delivery (something I am guilty of myself), not the alcohol. Keep in mind that these studies involved people who drank moderate amounts of alcohol, as drinking too much has serious health effects such as cirrhosis of the liver and breast cancer — and that is a fact.

Myth Two: Diet Cola mixed with alcohol can get you intoxicated faster.

The first thing you should know is that carbonated beverages, in general, absorb into the body faster than non-carbonated drinks so you are likely to feel effects faster if you mix alcohol with any carbonated drink.

This myth actually is true, some Australian scientists did a study that compared alcohol absorption of cola and vodka to absorption of diet cola and vodka. Even though both groups consumed the same amount of alcohol, the diet cola drinkers had a higher alcohol concentration in their blood, according to www.slashfood.com.

This could be a potentially dangerous combination because people who drink diet drinks often feel like they can drink more since there are fewer calories. This is true for any diet drink, not just sodas, so keep this in mind and take it slow if you are mixing these two things.

Myth Three: Liquor needs to be kept in the freezer.

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