Article: Insomnia May Boost Heart Attack Risk

Found this article month ago but I forgot to post it here. This article is damn useful for me. For those who lazy to read, just read the highlighted one, ok.

People who struggle with insomnia appear to be more prone to heart attacks than those who typically get a good night's sleep, a large Norwegian study has found.


In the study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, researchers conducted a comprehensive health survey of more than 52,000 adults, which included questions about sleep quality. Over the next 11 years, roughly 5% of the participants had a heart attack for the first time.

Compared to solid sleepers, those who had trouble falling or staying asleep nearly every night were 45% and 30% more likely to have a heart attack, respectively, even after the researchers took into account age, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other factors that can contribute to heart disease. People who reported feeling tired or unrefreshed after waking up at least two mornings per week were also at greater risk.

LIST: The Worst Habits for Your Heart

"Cardiologists do not talk regularly about sleep issues with their patients," says lead researcher Dr. Lars Erik Laugsand, an internist in the public health department of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in Trondheim. Although he and his coauthors suggest that these conversations may be helpful for assessing heart disease risk, Dr. Laugsand says that further research will be needed to determine how insomnia might affect heart health, and whether treating sleep problems can actually prevent heart attacks.

Cardiologist Suzanne Steinbaum, who directs the Women and Heart Disease program at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City, agrees that more research in this area is needed, but she says she already discusses sleep issues with her patients. Stress reduction is a key to preventing heart attacks, she says, and lowering stress is all but impossible if you're not getting enough sleep.

"We don't know how significant the sleep disturbance must be, or how long it must persist for it to become significant for heart disease," Steinbaum says. "But it is safe to say that there is some correlation."

LIST: Surprising Heart Attack Risks

Stress, depression and other psychological problems often overlap with sleep difficulties. Dr. Laugsand and his colleagues did factor depression and anxiety symptoms into their analysis, but neither condition had a substantial impact on the results. Other factors involving metabolism or blood-vessel health — such as inflammation — may be involved in the apparent link between insomnia and heart disease, the study notes.

Insomnia is the most common sleep problem in the United States. Roughly one-third of Americans experience occasional symptoms, and nearly 10% say they have chronic insomnia, according to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. Insomnia tends to occur more frequently with age, and some studies suggest it may be more prevalent in women.

Although insomnia is common, adequate and lasting treatment for it is not, says Susan Zafarlotfi, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep-Wake Disorders at Hackensack University, in Hackensack, N.J. "Clinicians often simply medicate their patients, but that is not the way to do it," she says. "Pharmacology is only for the short term. They need to get at the depth of the problem."

LIST: 7 Tips for the Best Sleep Ever

Previous research has reported a higher risk of heart attack among people with insomnia, but the new study is among the largest of its kind. It should be an eye-opener for cardiologists as well as for neurologists and doctors of all kinds, Zafarlotfi says, adding that future research is likely to strengthen the link between insomnia, heart disease, and related conditions such as stroke. "They have to ask their patients about sleep," she says. "Sleep has to be a big part of working with patients."

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/25/insomnia-may-boost-heart-attack-risk/#ixzz1eOrN8Ba6

[INFO] Not all thieves are stupid...‏

This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic technology.

GPS  

A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.

When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it.. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

MOBILE PHONES

I never thought of this.......

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet... Etc...was stolen.

20 minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago.' When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson:

Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list.

Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc....

And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back

Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you..

*PLEASE PASS THIS ON

* I never thought about the above!
As of now, I no longer have 'home' listed on my cell phone.

Even if this does not pertain to you....Pass it on to your family & friends

A great testimony from Lee Kuan Yew on age-ing

'Stay interested in the world, take on a challenge':
Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew

This is Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's advice on ageing the best way one
can. Yesterday, he shared some personal insights into how he himself deals
with ageing. Here is the transcript of his remarks.

MY CONCERN today is, what is it I can tell you which can add to your knowledge about ageing and what ageing societies can do. You know more about this subject than I do. A lot of it is out in the media, Internet and books. So I thought the best way would be to take a personal standpoint and tell you how I approach this question of ageing.

If I cast my mind back, I can see turning points in my physical and mental
health. You know, when you're young, I didn't bother, I assumed good health
was God-given and would always be there. When I was about
- '57 that was - I was about 34, we were competing in elections, and I was
really fond of drinking beer and smoking.

And after the election campaign, in Victoria Memorial Hall - we had won the
election, the City Council election - I couldn't thank the voters because I
had lost my voice. I'd been smoking furiously.
I'd take a packet of 10 to deceive myself, but I'd run through the packet
just sitting on the stage, watching the crowd, getting the feeling, the mood
before I speak. In other words, there were three speeches a night. Three
speeches a night, 30 cigarettes, a lot of beer after that, and the voice was
gone.

I remember I had a case in Kuching, Sarawak. So I took the flight and I felt
awful. I had to make up my mind whether I was going to be an effective
campaigner and a lawyer, in which case I cannot destroy my voice, and I
can't go on. So I stopped smoking. It was a tremendous deprivation because I
was addicted to it.

And I used to wake up dreaming...the nightmare was I resumed smoking.
But I made a choice and said, if I continue this, I will not be able to do
my job. I didn't know anything about cancer of the throat or oesophagus or
the lungs, etc. But it turned out it had many other deleterious effects.

Strangely enough after that, I became very allergic, hyper-allergic to
smoking, so much so that I would plead with my Cabinet ministers not to
smoke in the Cabinet room. You want to smoke, please go out, because I am
allergic.

Then one day I was at the home of my colleague, Mr Rajaratnam, meeting
foreign correspondents including some from the London Times and they took a
picture of me and I had a big belly like that (puts his hands in front of
his belly), a beer belly. I felt no, no, this will not do.

So I started playing more golf, hit hundreds of balls on the practice tee.
But this didn't go down. There was only one way it could go down: consume
less, burn up more.

Another turning point came when -this was 1976, after the general election -
I was feeling tired. I was breathing deeply at the Istana, on the lawns. My
daughter, who at that time just graduating as a doctor, said: 'What are you
trying to do?' I said: 'I feel an effort to breathe in more oxygen.' She
said:
'Don't play golf. Run. Aerobics.'

So she gave me a book, quite a famous book and, then, very current in
America on how you score aerobic points swimming, running, whatever it is,
cycling. I looked at it sceptically. I wasn't very keen on running. I was
keen on golf. So I said, 'Let's try'.

So in-between golf shots while playing on my own, sometimes nine holes at
the Istana, I would try and walk fast between shots. Then I began to run
between shots. And I felt better. After a while, I said:
'Okay, after my golf, I run.' And after a few years, I
said: 'Golf takes so long. The running takes 15 minutes. Let's cut out the
golf and let's run.'

I think the most important thing in ageing is you got to understand
yourself. And the knowledge now is all there. When I was growing up, the
knowledge wasn't there. I had to get the knowledge from friends, from
doctors.

But perhaps the most important bit of knowledge that the doctor gave me was
one day, when I said: 'Look, I'm feeling slower and sluggish.' So he gave me
a medical encyclopaedia and he turned the pages to ageing. I read it up and
it was illuminating. A lot of it was difficult jargon but I just skimmed
through to get the gist of it.

As you grow, you reach 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and then, thereafter, you are
on a gradual slope down physically. Mentally, you carry on and on and on
until I don't know what age, but mathematicians will tell you that they know
their best output is when they're in their 20s and 30s when your mental
energy is powerful and you haven't lost many neurons. That's what they tell
me.

So, as you acquire more knowledge, you then craft a programme for yourself
to maximise what you have. It's just common sense. I never planned to live
till 85 or 84. I just didn't think about it. I said: 'Well, my mother died
when she was 74, she had a stroke. My father died when he was 94.'

But I saw him, and he lived a long life, well, maybe it was his DNA. But
more than that, he swam every day and he kept himself busy. He was working
for the Shell company. He was in charge, he was a superintendent of an oil
depot. When he retired, he started becoming a salesman. So people used to
tell me: 'Your father is selling watches at BP de Silva.'

My father was then living with me. But it kept him busy. He had that
routine: He meets people, he sells watches, he buys and sells all kinds of
semi-precious stones, he circulates coins. And he keeps going.
But at 87, 88, he fell, going down the steps from his room to the dining
room, broke his arm, three months incapacitated. Thereafter, he couldn't go
back to swimming.

Then he became wheelchair-bound. Then it became a problem because my house
was constructed that way. So my brother - who's a doctor and had a flat
(one-level) house - took him in. And he lived on till 94. But towards the
end, he had gradual loss of mental powers.

So my calculations, I'm somewhere between 74 and 94.
And I've reached the halfway point now. But have I?

Well, 1996 when I was 73, I was cycling and I felt tightening on the neck.
Oh, I must retire today. So I stopped. Next day, I returned to the bicycle.
After five minutes it became worse.

So I said, no, no, this is something serious, it's got to do with the blood
vessels. Rung up my doctor, who said, 'Come tomorrow'. Went tomorrow, he
checked me, and said: 'Come back tomorrow for an angiogram.' I
said: 'What's that?' He said: 'We'll pump something in and we'll see whether
the coronary arteries are cleared or blocked.'

I was going to go home. But an MP who was a cardiologist happened to be
around, so he came in and
said: 'What are you doing here?' I said: 'I've got this.' He said: 'Don't go
home. You stay here tonight.
I've sent patients home and they never came back. Just stay here. They'll
put you on the monitor. They'll watch your heart. And if anything, an
emergency arises, they will take you straight to the theatre.
You go home. You've got no such monitor. You may never come back.'

So I stayed there. Pumped in the dye, yes it was blocked, the left
circumflex, not the critical, lead one. So that's lucky for me.

Two weeks later, I was walking around,I felt it's coming back. Yes it has
come back, it had occluded. So this time they said: 'We'll put in a stent.'
I'm one of the first few in Singapore to have the stent, so it was a brand
new operation. Fortunately, the man who invented the stent was out here
selling his stent.
He was from San Jose, La Jolla something or the other.
So my doctor got hold of him and he supervised the operation. He said put
the stent in. My doctor did the operation, he just watched it all and then
that's that. That was before all this problem about lining the stent to make
sure that it doesn't occlude and create a disturbance.

So at each stage, I learnt something more about myself and I stored that. I
said: 'Oh, this is now a danger point.'
So all right, cut out fats, change diet, went to see a specialist in Boston,
Massachusetts General Hospital.
He said: 'Take statins.' I said: 'What's that?' He
said: '(They) help to reduce your cholesterol.'
My doctors were concerned. They said: 'You don't need it. Your cholesterol
levels are okay.' Two years later, more medical evidence came out. So the
doctors said: 'Take statins.'

Had there been no angioplasty, had I not known that something was up and I
cycled on, I might have gone at
74 like my mother. So I missed that deadline.
So next deadline: my father's fall at 87.

I'm very careful now because sometimes when I turn around too fast, I feel
as if I'm going to get off balance. So my daughter, a neurologist, she took
me to the NNI, there's this nerve conduction test, put electrodes here and
there.

The transmission of the messages between the feet and the brain has slowed
down.
So all the exercise, everything, effort put in, I'm fit, I swim, I cycle.
But I can't prevent this losing of conductivity of the nerves and this
transmission.
So just go slow.
So when I climb up the steps, I have no problem. When I go down the steps, I
need to be sure that I've got something I can hang on to, just in case. So
it's a constant process of adjustment.

But I think the most important single lesson I learnt in life was that if
you isolate yourself, you're done for. The human being is a social animal -
he needs stimuli, he needs to meet people, to catch up with the world.
I don't much like travel but I travel very frequently despite the jet lag,
because I get to meet people of great interest to me, who will help me in my
work as chairman of our GIC. So I know, I'm on several boards of banks,
international advisory boards of banks, of oil companies and so on.

And I meet them and I get to understand what's happening in the world, what
has changed since I was here one month ago, one year ago. I go to India, I
go to China.

And that stimuli brings me to the world of today. I'm not living in the
world, when I was active, more active 20, 30 years ago. So I tell my wife.
She woke up late today. I said: 'Never mind, you come along by
12 o'clock. I go first.'

If you sit back - because part of the ending part of the encyclopaedia which
I read was very depressing - as you get old, you withdraw from everything
and then all you will have is your bedroom and the photographs and the
furniture that you know, and that's your world. So if you've got to go to
hospital, the doctor advises you to bring some photographs so that you'll
know you're not lost in a different world, that this is like your bedroom.

I'm determined that I will not, as long as I can, to be reduced, to have my
horizons closed on me like that. It is the stimuli, it is the constant
interaction with people across the world that keeps me aware and alive to
what's going on and what we can do to adjust to this different world.

In other words, you must have an interest in life. If you believe that at
55, you're retiring, you're going to read books, play golf and drink wine,
then I think you're done for. So statistically they will show you that all
the people who retire and lead sedentary lives, the pensioners die off very
quickly.

So we now have a social problem with medical sciences, new procedures, new
drugs, many more people are going to live long lives. If the mindset is that
when I reach retirement age 62, I'm old, I can't work anymore, I don't have
to work, I just sit back, now is the time I'll enjoy life, I think you're
making the biggest mistake of your life.

After one month, or after two months, even if you go travelling with nothing
to do, with no purpose in life, you will just degrade, you'll go to seed.

The human being needs a challenge, and my advice to every person in
Singapore and elsewhere: Keep yourself interested, have a challenge.

If you're not interested in the world and the world is not interested in
you, the biggest punishment a man can receive is total isolation in a
dungeon, black and complete withdrawal of all stimuli, that's real torture.

So when I read that people believe, Singaporeans say:
'Oh, 62 I'm retiring.' I say to them: 'You really want to die quickly?' If
you want to see sunrise tomorrow or sunset, you must have a reason, you must
have the stimuli to keep going.'

This story was first published on Jan 12, 2008.

10 Most Beautiful Currencies In The World‏

1) Switzerland (Francs)

"For such a seemingly staid bunch, the Swiss have fairly wild paper money. The back of the 100 Franc bill, shown here, might at first seem to be a still from a new remake of "Night of the Walking Dead," but no, it's actually a tribute to Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), and the figures are some of his signature works."

2) Comoros (Comorian Franc)

 

"Another small island nation -- this time off Africa's east coast, north of Madagascar -- the Comoros were controlled by the French for 130 years before gaining independence in 1975. The peaceful, dreamlike quality of this image, with its ghostly superimposed suggestion of a nautilus shell, may be a bit of wishful thinking, since the Comoros' history since independence has been a stormy one riddled with coups."

 

3) Cook Islands (Cook Island Dollars)

"Hard to say why this woman seems so tranquil and happy, since she is riding a giant ferocious shark, but it's probably just the vibes from living in the Cook Islands, which are still in the middle of nowhere. The islands are about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, with no high-rise hotels or resorts, and mercifully few tourists to junk things up. Come to think of it, that shark looks sort of blissed-out, too."

 

4) Faroe Islands (Kronurs)

"Okay, maybe it's not that beautiful, although the asymmetrical design and the somehow come-hither claws are pretty fetching. But the Faroe Islands, in the far North Atlantic about halfway between Iceland and Norway, have a bleak windswept beauty, and the people have great character. You gotta love a place that puts a crab on its money."

 

5) The French Pacific Territories (Franc)

"Hard to get much lovelier than the one-two of the face and back of this note from French Polynesia. But then the islands encompassed by the territory pretty much define paradise: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva, made part of our imaginative landscape by artists and writers such as Paul Gauguin, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Somerset Maugham, Herman Melville, and even Jimmy Buffett."

 

6) Hong Kong (Hong Kong Dollars)

"In Hong Kong, they seem to have gone just about as far as you can go, money-design wise. But then Hong Kong often seems to be cheerfully humming along in the 23rd century. It makes New York City feel kind of sleepy and slow. So the futuristic money fits perfectly. And as a practical matter, it's an example of a trend in paper currency toward major-league complexity, the better to thwart would-be counterfeiters. "

 

7) Iceland (Kronurs)

"Now, that's a hat! It even seems to require a neck brace to hold it up. The model for this striking fashion statement is Ragnheiour Jonsdottir. She lived 1646-1715 and was most noted for being the wife of not one but two successive Icelandic bishops, though she was also a celebrated seamstress as well. That's Ragnheiour teaching a couple of students on the back."

 

8) The Maldives (Rufiyaa)

"A true beauty, this bill is from the Republic of Maldives in the Indian Ocean, a chain of about 1,300 islands and cays scattered for 500 miles southwest of India. Beyond fishing and collecting coconuts—the centerpiece on this bill—there's little livelihood, and Maldives is one of the poorest countries in the world. This is doubly ironic, since cowrie shells (shown as part of the decorative border along the bottom) were the world's first international commodity-currency, and the Maldive Islands were their primary source."

 

9) New Zealand (New Zealand Dollars)

"Sir Edmund Hillary, on this New Zealand $5, ranks as Most Rugged Outdoorsman on world money, with his weather-crinkled eyes, windblown hair, and open-throated shirt casually askew. Even the color suggests the lifelong tan only acquired by someone who at 33 was the first to stand on top of Mount Everest in 1953, who led the first successful expedition to cross Antarctica via the South Pole in 1958, and who climbed to the source of the Ganges River in the Himalayas in 1977. This is pretty heady stuff for a man whose first occupation was as a beekeeper."

 

10) Sao Tome & Principe (Dobras)

"A tiny nation in the Gulf of Guiana, off the western equatorial African coast, these volcanic islands bill bill themselves as "Paradise On Earth." It could be: Splendid beaches and fascinating wildlife, including the endemic Sao Tome kingfisher (Alcedo thomensis) pictured here."

 

Top 10 Most Spoken Languages In The World

10. French -- Number of speakers: 129 million
Often called the most romantic language in the world, French is spoken in tons of countries, including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Haiti. Oh, and France too. We're actually very lucky that French is so popular, because without it, we might have been stuck with Dutch Toast, Dutch Fries, and Dutch kissing (ew!). 

To say "hello" in French, say "Bonjour" (bone-JOOR).

9. Malay—Indonesian Number of speakers: 159 million
Malay-Indonesian is spoken - surprise - in Malaysia and Indonesia. Actually, we kinda fudged the numbers on this one because there are many dialects of Malay, the most popular of which is Indonesian. But they're all pretty much based on the same root language, which makes it the ninth most-spoken in the world.Indonesia is a fascinating place; a nation made up of over 13,000 islands it is the sixth most populated country in the world. Malaysia borders on two of the larger parts of Indonesia (including the island of Borneo), and is mostly known for its capital city of Kuala Lumpur. 

To say "hello" in Indonesian, say "Selamat pagi" (se-LA-maht PA-gee).

8. Portuguese -- Number of speakers: 191 million
Think of Portuguese as the little language that could. In the 12th Century, Portugal won its independence from Spain and expanded all over the world with the help of its famous explorers like Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator. (Good thing Henry became a navigator . . . could you imagine if a guy named "Prince Henry the Navigator" became a florist?) Because Portugal got in so early on the exploring game, the language established itself all over the world, especially in Brazil (where it's the national language), Macau, Angola, Venezuela, and Mozambique. 

To say "hello" in Portuguese, say "Bom dia" (bohn DEE-ah).

7. Bengali -- Number of speakers: 211 million
In Bangladesh, a country of 120+ million people, just about everybody speaks Bengali. And because Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India (where the population is growing so fast, just breathing the air can get you pregnant), the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much higher than most people would expect. 

To say "hello" in Bengali, say "Ei Je" (EYE-jay).  

6. Arabic -- Number of speakers: 246 million
Arabic, one of the world's oldest languages, is spoken in the Middle East, with speakers found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Furthermore, because Arabic is the language of the Koran, millions of Moslems in other countries speak Arabic as well. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that in 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations. 

To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum" (Ahl sah-LAHM ah ah-LAY-koom) .

6. Arabic -- Number of speakers: 246 million
Arabic, one of the world's oldest languages, is spoken in the Middle East, with speakers found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Furthermore, because Arabic is the language of the Koran, millions of Moslems in other countries speak Arabic as well. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that in 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations. 

To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum" (Ahl sah-LAHM ah ah-LAY-koom) .

4. Spanish -- Number of speakers: 392 million
Aside from all of those kids who take it in high school, Spanish is spoken in just about every South American and Central American country, not to mention Spain, Cuba, and the U.S. There is a particular interest in Spanish in the U.S., as many English words are borrowed from the language, including: tornado, bonanza, patio, quesadilla, enchilada, and taco grande supreme. 

To say "hello" in Spanish, say "Hola" (OH-la).

3. Hindustani -- Number of speakers: 497 million
Hindustani is the primary language of India's crowded population, and it encompasses a huge number of dialects (of which the most commonly spoken is Hindi). While many predict that the population of India will soon surpass that of China, the prominence of English in India prevents Hindustani from surpassing the most popular language in the world. If you're interested in learning a little Hindi, there's a very easy way: rent an Indian movie. The film industry in India is the most prolific in the world, making thousands of action/romance/ musicals every year. 

To say "hello" in Hindustani, say "Namaste" (Nah-MAH-stay) .

2. English -- Number of speakers: 508 million
While English doesn't have the most speakers, it is the official language of more countries than any other language. Its speakers hail from all around the world, including the U.S., Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Canada. We'd tell you more about English, but you probably feel pretty comfortable with the language already. Let's just move on to the most popular language in the world. 

To say "hello" in English, say "What's up, freak?" (watz-UP-freek) .

1. Mandarin -- Number of speakers: 1 billion+
Surprise, surprise, the most widely spoken language on the planet is based in the most populated country on the planet, China. Beating second-place English by a 2 to 1 ratio, but don't let that lull you into thinking that Mandarin is easy to learn. Speaking Mandarin can be really tough, because each word can be pronounced in four ways (or "tones"), and a beginner will invariably have trouble distinguishing one tone from another. But if over a billion people could do it, so could you. Try saying hello! 

To say "hello" in Mandarin, say "Ni hao" (Nee HaOW). ("Hao" is pronounced as one syllable, but the tone requires that you let your voice drop midway, and then raise it again at the end.) 

15 of the Strongest Alcoholic Drinks

In every country, as we speak, people are drinking alcohol in order to intoxicate themselves. Certain types of liquor are notorious for the way they affect the drinker. Brandy has a reputation for inducing painful hangovers, while specific liquors, such as Jagermeister, are known as digestives liquor and are meant to be consumed after meals to aid digestion. However, some of the most famous types of liquor are known primarily for their extremely high alcohol content. Some of the world's strongest alcohols are chemically engineered and produced to severely alter your state of consciousness.

Sake is Japanese liquor produced from rice, water, and mold. This alcoholic beverage was first documented in 712 A.D. as it was found in the Kojiki, or Japan's first written history. Sake is unique because of its multiple parallel fermentation process. This is where starch is converted to sugar, and sugar into alcohol by way of yeast simultaneously; whereas many other alcohols complete one process at a time. While Japanese demand for sake decreases, the worldwide popularity and demand for sake increases. Sake is almost always 30-40 proof, and since alcohol content is exactly half the proof, sake weighs in at 15-20% alcohol per volume.

The recipe to this U.S. neutral grain spirit liqueur is one of grandeur. Beginning with quality bourbon, add one inch vanilla bean, a quarter of lemon, half a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries and an orange slice. Let ingredients sit for several days and finish with a touch of honey. This fruit spiced whiskey flavored alcohol is a favorite among college campuses across the United States. The alcohol per volume in Southern Comfort ranges from 21-50% making it a versatile crowd pleaser.

Sake is Japanese liquor produced from rice, water, and mold. This alcoholic beverage was first documented in 712 A.D. as it was found in the Kojiki, or Japan's first written history. Sake is unique because of its multiple parallel fermentation process. This is where starch is converted to sugar, and sugar into alcohol by way of yeast simultaneously; whereas many other alcohols complete one process at a time. While Japanese demand for sake decreases, the worldwide popularity and demand for sake increases. Sake is almost always 30-40 proof, and since alcohol content is exactly half the proof, sake weighs in at 15-20% alcohol per volume.

All of you who have eaten the worm are familiar with Mescal. Produced only from agave plants in Oaxaca, Mexico, this alcohol must meet strict guidelines in order to be mescal. Earth ovens are used in the early processes of cooking down the hearts of the agave plant to produce the liquor. Three classifications of mescal are produced: Anejo, Reposado, and Joven. This liquor is consumed heavily by U.S. tourists while in Mexico, and as for the worm - its name is Hypopta Agavis. Known as the Maguey worm, this species is commonly found on agave plants. The alcohol content of mescal is between 35-40%, rivaling its sister liquor tequila.

The word arrack is derived from the Arabic word arak, which translates to "sweet" or "strong liquor." Those who drink arrack commonly agree that the taste is that of a whiskey-rum blend. Distilled from fermented fruits, grain, sugar cane, and the sap of coconut palms arrack is most popular in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The proof of arrack differs with each recipe; therefore, the alcohol content varies from 33-50%. Arrack is commonly used in cocktails, and can compliment other beverages such as orange juice and cola.  

Vodka is without question the most popular spirit in the liquor market today. We're sure you already knew this and have some fuzzy memories of your own experiences with it. This alcohol has low levels of congeners, or impurities, which minimizes the damage of a hangover. For the same reason, vodka is the most versatile liquor when mixing into cocktails. All this can be attributed to vodka being distilled anywhere from 3-7 times before bottling. Created in the grain harvesting areas of Western Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland, the ingredients of vodka are rye or wheat, potatoes, and sugar beet molasses. The alcohol content of vodka varies between 35-50%.  

This spirit is produced from only the blue agave plant grown in the Jalisco regions of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. The restrictions upon tequila instructions are linked to the volcanic soil which provides perfect conditions for blue agave growth. Tequila is indeed special liquor, but contrary to popular belief it does not contain any hallucinogenic properties, it's just a real sloppy drunk. Tequila has five categories including Blanco, Joven, Reposado, Anejo, and Extra Anejo. The difference being age and casking techniques, which can be seen in the hue of tequila going from clear, yellow, amber, and dark brown. Tequila proof is measured between 70 and 110 giving this liquor an alcohol content of 35-55%.  

Presently, most gin is distilled, produced, and consumed in Europe, the majority of that in the United Kingdom. White grain flavored with juniper berries is distilled at the beginning of the the process. Once done, the grain is distilled again with other botanicals such as anise, angelica root, coriander, saffron and licorice root. The consensus among the majority of folks is that gin smells like pine trees and tastes like rubbing alcohol. This spirit certainly has a reputation, but as a medicinal alcohol not many spirits can match its usefulness. The alcohol content of gin is 40-50% as its potency matches its complexity.

Brandy is enjoyed in its own special glass called a snifter. Regarded as luxury liquor, this eaux-de-vie has an alcohol content between 36-60%. Brandy is best known for being after dinner drink due to its uncompromising smoothness. The word brandy is derived from the Dutch word brandewijn which translates to "burnt wine." There are three classifications of brandy: grape, fruit, or pomace. Many of the famous b*****es hail from the Cognac region of France such as Courvoisier, Remy Martin, and Hennessy. As delicious as brandy may be, congeners in this alcohol are considerably higher than other spirits therefore resulting in quite the hangover the morning after.

This bourbon whiskey is produced near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and has an alcohol content ranging from 40-54%. Wild Turkey is nicknamed the "Dirty Bird," as its reputation proceeds itself as strong liquor. The ingredients used to make Wild Turkey come from across the nation, the barley coming from Montana, the corn from Kentucky and Indiana and the rye coming mostly from North Dakota. In 1995, Wild Turkey released its 101 proof label available only in the United States. Standard bourbons are 80 proof, giving a slight edge to the Turkey for being one of the strongest liquors in its class.  

We discussed Wild Turkey, and it's technically an American whiskey, so why didn't we group it together with these whiskies? The reason is due to the standard proof of many bourbons being 80, but can reach as high as 120. All bourbon whiskies are aged in charred oak barrels to achieve the flavor and appearance they possess. There are four distinct types of whiskey: single malt, vatted malt, blended grain, and single grain. Evidence suggests that distillation was brought from the Mediterranean region back to the British Isles in the 6th and 7th centuries. Famous brands of bourbon whiskey include Jack Daniels, Evan Williams and Jim Beam.  

Just as with bourbon whiskey, there are four distinct categories for Scotch whisky. You may have noticed the different spelling: Americans and the Irish spell whiskey with an e, and the Scots spell whisky without an e, just to be difficult. Scotch whisky is one of the slowest aging liquors, as well as one of the most expensive when acquiring rare years. There are six Scotch producing regions in Scotland: Islands, Islay, Campbeltown, Lowland, Highland, and Speyside. Scotch whisky has an identical proof to its American counterparts ranging from 80-136, giving Scotch an alcohol content of 40-68%.

Absinthe is among the world's most potent and intoxicating liquors. It's nicknamed "la fee verte" and better known as the Green fairy. Absinthe's alcohol content ranges from 45-68% and is traditionally green, but can be colorless. Absinthe is anise flavored, and the active chemical thujone can be found in the main ingredient, Artemisia Absinthium, a.k.a. Grande wormwood. Absinthe has been illegal in the United States since 1915 because of its alleged psychoactive effects upon consumers. Absinthe is enjoyed by slowly trickling ice cold water onto a sugar cube placed atop a special spoon that allows the water and sugar to dissolve equally into the absinthe.
  

Have you ever been to a party where a watermelon has been cored and soaked in alcohol? If you have, chances are you are familiar with Bacardi 151. The name stems from the proof of the rum, which is 151 providing for an alcohol content of 75.5%. This over-proof rum is used mainly for cocktails, and the infamous "pj" or party juice. Bacardi is the only brand that installs a flame arrester on the bottle due to the high volatility of the alcohol. Popular flaming drinks, such as the B-52, require Bacardi 151 to concoct.

Due to the extreme alcohol content of 95% grain alcohol, it is illegal to purchase in California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Hawaii, Michigan, Nevada, and Virginia. This liquor is a neutral grain spirit which is relatively low in impurities, which you've learned by now, minimizes the effects of what we all know to be a hangover. Grain alcohol has an ugly reputation on college campuses everywhere due to the ease in which alcohol poisoning can occur while consuming it. This spirit has nearly tripled the potency of most alcohols, but finds itself within the same price range. Grain alcohol is without a doubt the strongest spirit available for retail purchase.

 

 At the top of the mountain rests the heavyweight champion of all liquors. Moonshine is produced in unlicensed stills, registers a perfect 100% alcohol content, and can be found in more than 60 countries. Moonshine, hooch, or white lightning can be made from corn meal, sugar, yeast, and water. There are two different types of still that are used to produce moonshine, a still pot and a reflux still. The still pot is more commonly used among shiners for its simplicity and mobility. The reflux still is capable of producing finer quality hooch at faster rates but sacrifices mobility. "Lead burns red and makes you dead" is a famous adage concerning the lead contents of moonshine and how when set ablaze turns red. Moonshine can be flavored with any fruit, and even birch bark to give the hooch a minty flavor.

So, What'll You Have?

Pick your poison carefully because each type of alcohol will produce a different kind of drunk. Vodka and Tequila are known for sloppy, loose drunkenness. Scotch whisky and bourbons are known for chest-warming heavy-headed buzzes. Rum, brandy, and specifically cognacs are associated with extremely painful hangovers. Alcohol reacts differently to all individuals in regard to their body chemistry. Across the world in many countries friends, family, and acquaintances have been getting hammered the whole time you were reading this article. In an attempt to catch up with them, I'd suggest Long Island Iced Tea.

Author : Unknown

p/s: Even though, I don't like to drink alcohol but I would like to try some Gin, Vodka, Vermouth, Chianti, Bourbon, Sherry and Pisco because these are the character in my favourite Detective Conan! ^^