2023-06-28 14:46:40
While you are a few thousand meters above the ground, the air hostess or steward passes by with his trolley filled with mignonettes: wine, whiskey, rum, a few peanuts and other hot drinks. Excited to discover Morocco or slightly anxious at the idea of a long-haul Paris-Seoul, you opt for an aperitif, and after a few sips, an unusual intoxication is felt.
Do we react to alcohol in the same way on land as on the plane?
The answer is no. Planes travel between 5,000 and 12,000 meters above sea level on average, and even if the cabin is pressurized, the pressure felt is equivalent to 2,400 meters above sea level. As in the mountains, the oxygen level decreases, and the alcohol will penetrate more quickly into the blood. In addition, the lack of oxygen will also act on the brain, the neurons will function less well and the neurological effects of alcohol are increased. In the plane, the feeling of intoxication occurs more quickly and more intensely than on solid ground.
No matter the altitude, alcohol dehydrates, but in the plane, the air is cold and dry, it already dehydrates the body, which increases the amount of alcohol in the blood. It is therefore necessary to remember to drink a lot of water when traveling in the air.
» READ ALSO: Drinking wine while traveling: these essential questions to ask yourself before the holidays
Can we drink bubbles on the plane?
The carbon dioxide contained in the bubbles dilates the blood vessels of the digestive system, so alcohol is absorbed faster and drunkenness comes faster.
Does alcohol taste the same on the plane as on land?
According to Fabrizio Bucella, sommelier and professor at the Free University of Brussels, the lack of oxygen diminishes our perceptions. Since the humidity is lower than sea level, the sinuses work less well. Especially since the ambient temperature of an airplane is generally low, the cold scrambles our sensory faculties. In the air, we will therefore not have the same taste in the mouth, our feelings being less precise and less expressive.
Even better tomato juice on the plane: myth or reality?
It is often said that tomato juice is even better on the plane. Is it true ? As we have just said, at altitude, the perception of taste and smell is modified. The particularity of tomato juice is that it is strong in flavor, it is at the same time sweet, salty, acid and umami. As on the plane, the flavors are less noticeable, the tomato juice loses acidity and leaves more room for the umami to express itself. Also called the fifth flavor, umami is this round and sweet taste, with a saline finish that in the mouth stimulates our glands and thickens our saliva, hence the feeling of comfort and roundness. You can find umami in miso, soy sauce, Maggi sauce, aged Parmesan, tomato sauces, celery, etc. No coincidence that tomato juice is so popular. Composed of 95% water, it is a good ally for air travel, provided you do not add too much salt – and avoid vodka.
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