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Originally Posted by Totga  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. |
Actually, the taste for alcohol is a cultural throwback to the middle ages - the vast majority of water was unsafe to drink due to contaminants (dead animals, sewage, etc), while the fermentation process sterilizes (at least partially) the water in beer. So everyone drank beer, from the moment they were off the teat until they died, all the time. Quite interesting to have a society where everyone was constantly drunk.
It was strong stuff as well, much stronger than the ales or largers we have today - 15% volume on average.