• Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    “Minor risks” being whole families dying or key family members getting poisoned as we transitioned to a society where most folks don’t own their own cow/source of milk.

    It’s dangerous to assume all those years of use were a utopia. We used leaded gas for how long and are only just now getting to understand the ramifications?

    By your mindset poisoning a future generation with lead is a “minor risk” we dealt with back then…

    • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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      5 months ago

      If that bro above you knew anything about drinks historically he’d know the most popular drink was beer, because it was safer than milk or water.

      • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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        5 months ago

        And iirc, the beer was diluted with the local water from the river, to increase its mass while still also making the river water safe(r) to drink.

        • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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          5 months ago

          Nah, that’s wrong. Traditional methods could only reach a maximum of about 8 to 15% alcohol before the yeast kills itself and becomes safe to drink, or by brewing in the literal sense of heating the liquid. Diluting with riverwater would either keep the ale unfinished or the riverwater unsafe as the alcohol content gets diluted.

          In the old days, the knowledge that boiling water made it safe was not widespread, many cultures got their fluid content completely from potable rainwaters, brews, and soups or stews.

          Those who relied on drinking untreated riverwater were doomed to low population and constant sickness related mortality.