In ancient times and places where potable water was scarce and people drank alcoholic beverages for substance, how were the people not dehydrated and hung over all the time?

Question

In ancient times and places where potable water was scarce and people drank alcoholic beverages for substance, how were the people not dehydrated and hung over all the time?

In: Biology

Answer 1

An important thing to point out is that it was never the alcohol that made the water safe to drink. To kill bacteria you need about 60-70% alcohol. The thing that made the water safe was boiling, which is a step in the beer brewing process. Tea or anything made after boiling water would have been safe too.