Whats Your Favourite Drink?

[Jockstar]

Ok the festive season is upon us. Most of us will over do it on the booze. You will probably drink many things . But if you were given a choice. What would it be?

Personaly i like Jack Daniels. But seeing as its way expensive. Then over the festive, i'll be drinking Sangsom and beer. So what about everyone else? Whats your favourite? If you wont be drinking that then let us know what will be giving you that terrible hangover.

[tuky]

Definately beer, where I am working now the favoured drink is vodka, but you get p1ssed too soon so what is the point? I have spent nearly 2 years in Korea previously where they drink Soju, same problem...Beer is the way to go as you can drink beer forever (nearly).

The other week I had a go on the absinthe, I strongly recommend you never do that, I do not remember finishing the glass never mind going home, it ruined the night.

[Ken]

Well, ok. I really enjoy a glass of port, but hard to come by in my area. And even at that, rather expensive. So, beer drinker that I am, it will be Archa, Chang, Singha, or whatever. I also plan on making some pina coladas, with what I call the local "rum", meaning Sangsom, with the local pineapple juice, and local coconut milk. Have made these in the past and are really quite tasty. And for the non-drinkers, leave the Sangsom out and it is still delicious. Happy Holidays at home in the village!

[Spee]

Whats your favourite?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I voted JD (on the rocks or with some water), or jack-nahm in Thai-speak. It is my main drink but mostly for the winter time. Usually it is gin-tonic or screwdriver after golf in the summer, or a pint of beer/ale if just hanging about being social.

[Jockstar]

Well, ok.  I really enjoy a glass of port, but hard to come by in my area.  And even at that, rather expensive.  So, beer drinker that I am, it will be Archa, Chang, Singha, or whatever.  I also plan on making some pina coladas, with what I call the local "rum", meaning Sangsom, with the local pineapple juice, and local coconut milk.  Have made these in the past and are really quite tasty.  And for the non-drinkers, leave the Sangsom out and it is still delicious.  Happy Holidays at home in the village!

I included rum as there is many kinds. Some people think that Sangsom is whiskey and are really surprised when i point out its a rum. Enjoy your tipple wherever you are and have a drink for me. Merry Xmas. Its only a hour away in LOS.

[Jockstar]

Whats your favourite?

I voted JD (on the rocks or with some water), or jack-nahm in Thai-speak. It is my main drink but mostly for the winter time. Usually it is gin-tonic or screwdriver after golf in the summer, or a pint of beer/ale if just hanging about being social.

I like Jack and soda. Much better than coke.

[Harmonica]

Water! Straight from the well; I like my water fresh!

[francois]

hi'

not a second of hesitation: MILK

sorry folks

francois

[Jockstar]

Water!  Straight from the well; I like my water fresh!

Do you have a mixer with it?

[PeaceBlondie]

Pepsi Max or Diet Coke, up to ten cans a day.

[Jockstar]

Pepsi Max or Diet Coke, up to ten cans a day.

Too much is not good for you mate.

[Pablo H]

Jockstrap,

you forgot to put Lao Kao on the list, nah its paintstripper really, if I were to choose I would be happy with a beer Chang but I do like a drop of Remi on special occasions. JD is fine, as is Sangsom, Mehkong.

But overall make mine a Babycham.

Cheers

[PeaceBlondie]

Pepsi Max or Diet Coke, up to ten cans a day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too much is not good for you mate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suppose so - 50 or 60 a day wouldn't be good for you.

What shall I substitute - ten beers a day?

[Jockstar]

Pepsi Max or Diet Coke, up to ten cans a day.

Too much is not good for you mate.

I suppose so - 50 or 60 a day wouldn't be good for you.

What shall I substitute - ten beers a day?

Don't Drink the Diet Coke

Perhaps a friend has forwarded you an email from "Nancy Markle," which sets out to document the dangers of the artificial sweetener, aspartame, manufactured by Monsanto. Aspartame is the basis of NutraSweet and Equal, flavors Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, and other drinks, and sweetens a host of foods you or I wouldn’t even begin to suspect.

The email, together with a number of websites, credits the artificial sweetener with nearly every woe known to humankind, from MS to Gulf War syndrome. In the words of the letter:

"If you are using aspartame ... and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss - you probably have aspartame disease."

"You probably have aspartame disease" is a gross overstatement, but so is the term "urban legend" loosely bandied about in various pro-aspartame articles on a number of websites, at least one industry-sponsored. The scientific evidence may fall well short of pinning an actual rap on the sweetener, but it is sufficient enough to raise a legitimate concern.

Three byproducts of aspartame are methanol, formaldehyde, and formate, which defenders maintain occur in modest amounts - similar to what is found in fruit juices - and cannot be considered toxic. But according to Michael Schachter MD in an article on HealthWorld, the methanol in juices is chemically bound so it cannot be absorbed into the body whereas in aspartame it is in a free state where it can be absorbed. Additionally, in aspartame the methanol is unaccompanied by ethanol which acts as a protectant in its natural state.

A Medline search reveals divided opinion over whether aspartame consumption can lead to worrisome build-ups of blood methanol or formaldehyde. A 1998 Spanish study on rats, for example, warns "that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts," while a 2002 Japanese study on rats concludes: "It is suggested that aspartame at abuse doses is harmless to humans."

A survey of aspartame studies by Ralph Walton MD of Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine found: "Of the 166 studies felt to have relevance for questions of human safety, 74 had NutraSweet industry related funding and 92 were independently funded. One hundred percent of the industry funded research attested to aspartame's safety, whereas 92 percent of the independently funded research identified a problem."

One in 15,000 people may not properly metabolize phenylalanine, an essential amino acid found in aspartame. The substance is a precursor to tyrosine, a building block of norepinephrine and dopamine, but, in the words of the FDA: "High levels of this amino acid in body fluids can cause brain damage." Accordingly, the FDA duly requires a warning that all products containing the sweetener be labeled for the substance. Newborns are routinely screened for phenylalanine metabolism (the PKU test), which rules out the likelihood of an unsuspecting consumer gulping down hemlock.

The FDA approved aspartame for use in certain dry foods in 1981 and for soft drinks in 1983. In 1996, it removed all restrictions, allowing use in all food products, including ones exposed to heat, which separates the main ingredients. The FDA has set an acceptable daily limit of 50 mg per kg of body weight, which assumes that aspartame can safely replace all sucrose sweeteners in the diet.

The FDA approval, however, should not be equated with safety, particularly in light of how the product got the green light. In 1980 a three-member board of inquiry examined the test results of Searle, the pharmaceutical arm of Monsanto that manufactures aspartame. Although they thought the sweetener did not cause brain damage, they concluded more studies were needed to conclusively demonstrate the product's safety. A five-member panel then decided 3-2 that Searle's safety studies were not conclusive. Nevertheless, commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes overruled the board's recommendations, and granted approval for aspartame's first two approvals in 1981 and 1983. Within three months of the 1983 approval, Hayes resigned from the FDA and accepted a position as a paid consultant in Searle's PR firm. (This is set out in two GAO reports, which nevertheless absolved both Hayes and the FDA.)

Meanwhile, the agency stands behind its original approval in 1981:

"FDA calls aspartame ... one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved. The agency says the more than 100 toxicological and clinical studies it has reviewed confirm that aspartame is safe for the general population."

Fine, but can those who suffer depression or bipolar disorder be considered part of the general population? In 1993, Dr Walton, who is a psychiatrist, conducted a study of 40 patients with unipolar depression and a similar number without a psychiatric history. The subjects were given 30 mgs per kg of body weight a day of aspartame or a placebo for 20 days (about equal to daily consumption if it completely replaced sugar).

Thirteen individuals completed the study, then an institutional review board called the project to a halt "because of the severity of reactions within the group of patients with a history of depression." In a smaller, shorter crossover design, "again there was a significant difference between aspartame and placebo in number and severity of symptoms for patients with a history of depression, whereas for individuals without such a history there was not."

Accordingly, the author concluded that "individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this artificial sweetener and its use in this population should be discouraged."

As to further particulars of the study, based on the eight depressed subjects and five healthy subjects who completed it:

Three quarters of the patients with a history of depression taking aspartame reported feeling depressed vs none of the healthy subjects taking aspartame and about 40 percent of both groups taking a placebo. The 40 percent is probably a statistical aberration owing to the small numbers who completed the study. Nevertheless, the figures consistently show the depressed/aspartame group experiencing an array of symptoms in far greater numbers and severity, including: fatigue, nausea, headache, trouble remembering, insomnia, and other symptoms.

The depressed/placebo group showed almost none of these symptoms, along with the healthy/aspartame and healthy/placebo groups

Dr Walton told this writer he believes aspartame inhibits serotonin synthesis by decreasing the availability of the precursor L-tryptophan, a finding borne out in another research team’s 1987 experiment on rats.

Remarkably, Dr Walton’s study is the only one we have related to both mood and aspartame. It would be helpful to get a second opinion, but no one else since, apparently, has tried to either replicate or refute his results. This may be due to the political and funding climate. "The NutraSweet company," Dr Walton told this writer, "clearly tried to block our study."

So we are left contemplating the fridge, where our Diet Coke is being chilled, with but one aging study to either guide us or confuse us. Once again, like the trial and error of our meds, we find ourselves human guinea pigs, this time experimenting with our diet. For many, aspartame may turn out to be a life-saving alternative to that well-documented sweet poison, sugar (see article). Others who continue to experience depression, fatigue, and other symptoms, however, may want to moderate their aspartame consumption and see what happens.

In 1998, the FDA approved the use of another artificial sweetener, sucralose (Splenda), in all foods. Sucralose is derived from actual sugar. Those "Atkins friendly" and "Low carbs" graphics now plastered on commercial baked goods and desserts like product logos on racing cars are just another way of saying the sugar has been removed and replaced with Splenda. RC Cola uses Splenda in its diet version, and in the summer of 2004, Coke and Pepsi debuted half-sugar, half-Splenda concoctions - C2 and Edge, respectively - to capitalize on the Atkins fad.

Critics point out there have been no long-term studies of Splenda on humans, that pre-approval studies on rats turned up shrunken thymus glands and other organ damage, that relatively few studies exist, and that the product has no long-term safety record.

In the meantime, no one’s saying water is bad for us.

For three free online issues of McMan's Depression and Bipolar Weekly, email me and put "Sample" in the heading and your email address in the body.

Updated June 12, 2004.

[Jockstar]

Jockstrap, 

you forgot to put Lao Kao on the list, nah its paintstripper really, if I were to choose I would be happy with a beer Chang but I do like a drop of Remi on special occasions. JD is fine, as is Sangsom, Mehkong.

But overall make mine a Babycham.

Cheers 

Senior Member

****

Group: Members

Posts: 102

Joined: 2003-10-14

From: Liverpool

Member No.: 5,032

Jockstrap, tongue.gif

Never heard that before

Also you look like a Babycham drinker.

[Pablo H]

Hey Jock, only joking pal. Dont judge a book by its cover, have you never heard of that one? Merry Christmas, no hard feelings eh.

[PeaceBlondie]

What's funny about the diet cola is that I've been drinking that stuff almost nonstop since at least 1984, probably 1964, and it hasn't hurt me one bit. None of the symptoms mentioned (well, that's a ridiculously long list).

Anybody care to start making the list of what happens if you drink that much beer, wine, whiskey, rum, vomit, gasoline, poo, or piss?

[Jockstar]

Hey Jock, only joking pal. Dont judge a book by its cover, have you never heard of that one? Merry Christmas, no hard feelings eh. 

Of course mate no hard feelings. its Xmas.

But you still look like a Babycham drinker.

[Pablo H]

Actually Jock, I have lied, that pic aint me its my twin brother.

[wallyc]

Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi .. Good Stuff

[britmaveric]

Lager naturally though I have known to imbibe a few rum/cokes or Chevas on occassion !

[gburns57au]

Lager naturally though I have known to imbibe a few rum/cokes or Chevas on occassion !

Usually just drink beer...

but a nice red wine goes down well

[Thaigreg]

I like a tall glass of iced green tea with a touch of lime when I'm not "out on the town".

[Kringle]

Gin's my friend but the beers are ok, just not every day. Would love to have a nice supply of OZ ports though, really a nice drop!

[Jockstar]

Gin's my friend but the beers are ok, just not every day. Would love to have a nice supply of OZ ports though, really a nice drop!

I also like gin. I usually alwys drink it when i fly somewhere. My missus sometimes buys me a bottle now and again.

[RamdomChances]

Sang Som soda, used to whiskey and water back home (Glen Morangie usually), and still like a drop now and again. never into drinking beer, makes you feel like a water bed with legs I've got a bottle of black label that was donated to me for today

Merry christmass every one RC

[tutsiwarrior]

large glass full of ice, fill half with vodka, then soda and a splash of grapefruit juice on top...

good for diabetics...

[nogutsnoapplepie]

[Johpa]

You really need to add Mae Khong to the list to include some of us dinosaurs as it is still my favorite drink from those days when there were no alternatives other than Singh and lao khao or lao dong. As for a special treat, during the Mong New Year I know some villages that distill a terrific corn pone.

[Jockstar]

You really need to add Mae Khong to the list to include some of us dinosaurs as it is still my favorite drink from those days when there were no alternatives other than Singh and lao khao or lao dong.  As for a special treat, during the Mong New Year I know some villages that distill a terrific corn pone.

I had toooooo much beer an Sangsom tonight. Also many , many G+T's