[failed_ideas]

I was literally actually thinking of this just the other day. Alcohol now gives me intestinal liquidity, possibly a result of too many years of 3-4 beer a night. And I couldn't figure out how an entire populace raised on the stuff wouldn't have had larger issues with beer than with water. I was thinking there had to be something I was missing about what I was taught (and I was taught it in college).

[AdmiralAsshat]

It's worth noting that beer hasn't exactly had a uniform makeup throughout history. The kind originally made in Mesopotamia and given as rations to soldiers was much more nutritious than the kind we drink recreationally now.

[bpodgursky]

Beer historically was 1-2% alcohol. "Drinking only beer" was not impractical at that strength, unlike modern beer.

[tomelders]

I've been reluctantly repeating this "fact" over the years. Although I've always been concerned about the rampant hangovers and dehydration that would have occurred as a result of drinking so much beer. The fact that this is not a fact makes more sense.