A lot of people are curious to know about the physical effects of Absinthe and also it’s effect on the body? Absinthe was unauthorized during 1900s and was illegal for decades so various people not even know the taste of it.
Absinthe is an anise flavored distilled alcoholic drink produced from a wine base and flavored with herbs. Common wormwood, aniseed and fennel are the three main herbs used for the distillation of Absinthe.
Dr Pierre Ordinaire prepared Absinthe in Couvet, Switzerland in the 18th century. Herbs renowned for their medicinal properties were used in it’s preparation. Henri-Louis Pernod began to producing Absinthe in Couvet and then in Pontarlier, France.
In the 1840s French soldiers used Absinthe to deal with malaria. It became the favorite drink of the French in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bars even had Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” as Absinthe became one of the most popular drink in France and in several nations.
Absinthe was served with apparel such as a special Absinthe glass, a slotted Absinthe spoon and an Absinthe fountain or carafe of iced water. It was not generally served straight but, instead, diluted with a sugar and water solution.
By going through an article from “Sweat” magazine “Battle Cry” one can know how the medical profession in France were worried about Absinthism that was caused by prolonged Absinthe drinking. Doctors claimed that it was far worse than normal alcoholism and had the following symptoms:-
Initial Symptoms after consuming Absinthe:-
- A feeling of exhilaration
– Hallucinations
– Restless nights with terrible nightmares
– A person can suffer from nausea and vomiting
– Trembling
– Dizziness
Symptoms of long term Absinthe abuse:-
- Frothing and convulsions
– Delirium
– Hypersensitivity to pain can occur
– Loss of libido can happen
– Absinthe is responsible for the sensitivity to hot and cold
– Insanity
– Paralysis
– Death
The French Academy of Medicine asked that Absinthe be forbidden in 1900 but their pleas were ignored. It took for governments to act because a family was murdered by an Absinthe drinker in Switzerland. At different periods of time Absinthe was banned in Switzerland, Italy and in France.
Thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was blamed for Absinthe’s physical effects. People claimed thujone to be psychoactive, a neurotoxin and to act on the GABA receptors in the brain. It was even compared to THC in the drug cannabis.
However, recent research with traditional pre ban Absinthe recipesand gas chromatography tests on vintage bottles of original Absinthe have all shown that, contrary to belief, Absinthe only contained a maximum of 6mg of thujone rather than 350mg which is what people believed it contained. One had never find this amount of thujone near a harmful level.
Many now believe that Absinthe was unfairly blamed and that Absintheis no more dangerous than any other strong liquor. It is necessary to take it in moderation because it has a high ABV (alcohol by volume), double as strong as other alcoholic beverages.
There are various physical effects of Absinthe today?
Most believe that Absinthe has no physical effects like causing hallucinations but those who consume bottled Absinthes, or stronger Absinthes made using kits like those available from AbsintheKit.Get drunk and talk about a “clear headed” or “lucid” drunkenness on AbsintheKit.com. This may be due to Absinthe’s blend of herbs. A few herbs act as stimulants and others as sedatives.
These are the physical effects of Absinthe? One can experience pleasure and enjoyment and perhaps a clear headed drunkenness.
