Everything You Know Is A Lie: Breaking The Seal While Drinking Is A Myth

My entire life is a lie.

I recently discovered that breaking the seal is a myth.

If you're not familiar with this phenomenon, Urban Dictionary has got you covered:

We've all been in this scenario: You're at a football game, you've had a few beers, and you notice you have to pee.

But you don't want to miss any of the game, so you hold it.

You tell yourself if you go now, you'll be returning to the bathroom like a moth to a flame every few minutes.

You're a veteran; you've known from your earliest drinking days that only rookies break the seal during the first half of the game.

Well, I hate to break it to you, my friend, but breaking the seal is a big fat farce.

It's no secret that we pee more when we drink alcohol; you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. But there is a science behind why we pee so frequently when we're boozing.

Alcohol is a diuretic. It makes us pee more because of the way it interacts with a hormone known as vasopressin, which is also known as the anti-diuretic hormone.

This all has to do with the multitude of ways in which alcohol negatively impacts our brains and, in turn, our bodies. In particular, alcohol messes with our endocrine system, the network of glands that affects the function of our heart and sexual organs, among other things.

The pituitary gland -- the small organ found at the base of the brain -- is part of this system.

Vasopressin is secreted from the pituitary gland. It communicates with our kidneys, basically telling them, "This is how much water you need to retain to stay hydrated."

But when we drink alcohol, the pituitary gland stops producing vasopressin, so the message isn't communicated, and all of the water in our body is sent straight to the bladder.

This is why we pee so much when we're hitting the bottle (beer consists primarily of water).

It's also why our pee turns clear when we drink, and it's a sign that you're dehydrated and likely on your way toward a major hangover. So you might want to trade that cocktail for a water.

In other words, you aren't peeing a lot because you broke the seal, you're peeing a lot because alcohol already makes you pee more.

Not to mention, you're probably drinking too much. If you want to stop peeing so much, stop drinking so much. It's simple science.

There's nothing wrong with having a little fun, but drink responsibly, my friends. Hydration is key.

Citations: You can train yourself to pee less often and 8 other surprising facts about urine (Vox), Break The Seal (Urban Dictionary ), Why Does Beer Make You Pee (SciShow)