Top 10 Food Myths (And 1 Surprising Truth)

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Absinthe--OK "Real Absinthe"--Will Make You Hallucinate

Illegal in the states from 1912 to 2007 thanks in part to its reputation for causing hallucinations and criminality, absinthe is traditionally made using wormwood, a shrub containing the chemical thujone. Thujone does have some pharmacological properties, but you'd need to drink a pint of absinthe to get a mild thujone buzz (by that time, you'll ... more 

Photo by: Photo by Conde Nast Digital Studio

Absinthe--OK "Real Absinthe"--Will Make You Hallucinate

Illegal in the states from 1912 to 2007 thanks in part to its reputation for causing hallucinations and criminality, absinthe is traditionally made using wormwood, a shrub containing the chemical thujone. Thujone does have some pharmacological properties, but you'd need to drink a pint of absinthe to get a mild thujone buzz (by that time, you'll be so drunk it won't really matter). Still interested? Too bad. The buzz-killing FDA banned absinthe containing thujone. But today scientists attribute absinthe's rep to a) sheer drunkenness; many Euro versions were 70% alcohol, and b) the addition of toxic stuff like methanol. Oof. less