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How much is a hamster able to drink? Much more than you
Researchers have studied the ability of hamsters to metabolize alcohol. As estimated, the ratio of alcohol consumed by a hamster to the animal’s body weight is equivalent to 21 bottles of wine drunk by an adult male.
Hamsters are known for their love of alcohol and their ability to metabolize it. Dr. Tom Lawton, a consultant in intensive care at the Bradford Institute of Medical Sciences, shared the news of hamsters’ unusual ability to consume alcohol on Twitter.
Groundbreaking study
Dr. Lawton based his claim on the results of several studies. While it’s unclear what prompted the researchers to conduct these studies, the results are clear. The earliest study, from 1960, showed that hamsters naturally prefer alcohol. The results of this study were confirmed by a 1962 experiment, which showed that most hamsters choose alcohol over drinking water.
In 2015, researchers from Stanford University and the University of Alaska conducted a study in which they gave hamsters alcohol and observed their behavior until they lost consciousness. It was eventually proven that hamsters were able to consume up to 20 grams of ethanol per kilogram of body weight per day without much harm to their health. Scientists estimated that the ratio of alcohol they consume to their weights…
