[Totga]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Issue: I get the same warning when I eat broccoli. In fact, I get that kind of response from my body from a host of mostly indisputably good substances. A friend of a friend is a vegetarian, and from her I've been treated to some... interesting salads. The stuff is good for me, I'm almost positive, but eh. Of course, there's that old adage, "If it's tastes good, it's not good for you."

Ah, but broccoli contains glucosinolates which can be harmful if you don't have enough iodine in your diet - the fact some people hate it, is because from an evolutionary stand-point, it is in your interest not to take it:

Quirks & Quarks: Excuses from Evolution

See, I told you the human body is an incredible thing. Go on, admit it, that's an incredible thing to read: humanity has evolved a taste of certain foods based on how much iodine there is in the local environment.

I can see that the taste for alcohol might have developed in a similar way, but I don't understand why some groups might have evolved a liking for the taste of it, because it basically turns your insides to gunk. I don't see the upside in it from the body's point of view.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Another of my friends, who I didn't recall during the other post, was cautioned by his father never to drink alcohol. The reason was interesting: apparently, when he was younger, he was given some and he liked it. Most people, his father told him, don't actually like the taste of alcohol, so they're not as likely to become alcoholic. You, his father continued, like it, so it's much easier for you.

I can believe that might be the case - for me I think I enjoy other drinks' tastes a lot more. Given the choice between a cranberry juice and a glass of wine, based on taste alone, I'd go for the cranberry juice. I expect most people, if they were honest, are probably similar but we live in a society where to not drink is considered 'cissy-ish' or for younger adults perhaps even 'childish'.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Friend #3: he's Irish/German, former military, and only got drunk once because his tolerance is, well, through the roof. That single moment of being drunk caused him to drop alcohol completely. He's quite a remarkable person, but I thought I'd share the story, though not the details, since I'm disinclined to give the people reading something to dare at.

Yeah, I remember the first time I drank so much I lost control, and the next morning I swore off alcohol. It didn't work though. I'm glad I'm at a point now where I just don't see the advantage of it any more. I'm never going to think "I want to, but I can't", just simply "ooh, they've got cranberry juice... nice..." :-)