Whether you’re splitting a cocktail or trying a sip of a friend’s before ordering one for yourself, you might be sharing something else, too. Along with delicious ingredients, there’s backwash, the mixture of saliva and beverage that goes, yes, back into your drink when you take a sip.
Less appetizing, for sure. But how bad is it to share a bev and actually drink that backwash? We asked Dr. Raj Dasgupta, Chief Medical Advisor for Sleepopolis, to share his thoughts.
What Is Backwash?
Backwash happens naturally, explains Dr. Dasgupta. “When you swallow, a small amount of liquid and saliva can be pulled back into the bottle, cup, or straw. It’s often invisible but can carry microorganisms from the mouth.” And it’s not necessarily something you can control. He says that even “a brief sip” can introduce saliva into a drink.
How Much Backwash Is In Your Drink?
Backwash might be inevitable, but is enough produced that you might be drinking it when sharing a water bottle or beer? Dr. Dasgupta says it’s “fairly likely.”
“The more people sip from the same container, or the longer the sip, the greater the chance of significant backwash,” he says. “While it may not necessarily lead to illness, you are almost certainly ingesting at least trace amounts of someone else’s oral microbes.”
But, Doesn’t Alcohol Kill Germs?
Yes, but not the alcohol in your cocktail or beer. “The alcohol content in most drinks, like beer, wine, or cocktails, just isn’t strong enough to kill viruses or bacteria in your mouth or in the drink itself,” says Dr. Dasgupta. He explains that a higher alcohol concentration is needed to disinfect, which is typically around 60%–what’s in hand sanitizer. Most liquor you buy at the store is 40% or 80 proof. Add in any mixers and that percentage will go down.
“If there’s backwash and germs in there, the alcohol isn’t going to protect you,” he adds.
What Are The Health Risks Of Sharing Drinks?
It’s no surprise that sharing drinks might put you at risk of getting sick. Dr. Dasgupta says it can increase the risk of spreading viruses and bacteria, especially those transmitted through saliva. This can include the flu, cold sores, mono, and strep throat. While most healthy adults might not get seriously ill from sharing drinks, he says that those with weaker immune systems might have a greater risk.
Bottom line? “It’s best to avoid sharing drinks during cold and flu season or if you or the other person feels unwell.”
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