The first fair entirely dedicated to non-alcoholic drinks will be held at the beginning of July at the Marché du Lez in Montpelier, and de-alcoholized drinks are in the spotlight! The organizers are keen to highlight local products from the French terroir. Wines, beers and non-alcoholic spirits will find their place there. An event that makes sense at the beginning of this summer and this period of strong heat.
Indeed, it is not recommended to consume alcohol in the middle of a heat wave, and for a good reason: alcohol dehydrates! Ethanol molecules will affect the activity of the kidneys by disturbing the production of vasopressin, a hormone produced by the brain, more precisely by the hypothalamus. Released in the blood, it will have an anti-diuretic role.
Drinking alcohol will therefore lead to an overproduction of urine and a too rapid elimination of our body's water reserves. The quantities contained in alcoholic beverages do not allow to compensate for these losses, our body finds itself having to draw water from its last resources, such as the brain. This is what causes the symptoms of a "hangover". Alcohol increases the risk of sunstroke and even hyperthermia.
It is therefore advisable to limit alcohol consumption when the sun is shining, and to turn instead to non-alcoholic drinks. Wine, beer or de-alcoholized spirits are a better alternative to continue to consume a festive drink as an aperitif while avoiding "heat stroke". Nevertheless, in these hot periods, the most important thing is to drink water, of course!