What relationship does the length of the ring and index fingers have with the consumption of more or less alcohol? According to the conclusions of an investigation published in the American Journal of Human Biologyin which 258 university students participated, there is a deep connection between these two characteristics. Specifically, Having a ring finger longer than the index finger seems to correlate with a greater predisposition to consume alcoholic beverages. Although several scientists are skeptical of this line of research.
Let’s talk about the study
Let’s take a step back: why did the authors ask that question? Well then, Previous publications show that high levels of testosterone levels before birth influence the length of the fingers and, at the same time, the predisposition to alcohol consumption. “Patients addicted to intoxicants are known to have very long ring fingers compared to their index fingers, suggesting greater exposure to testosterone than to estrogen,” explains John Manning of Swansea University, UK. co-author of the publication and several articles related to this line of research.
To test whether this assumption could also be extended to people who are not addicted to alcohol, The team had the participation of 169 women and 89 menall university students, who had the length of their fingers measured and were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their consumption. The analysis showed that those with a ring finger longer than their index finger tended to drink more alcohol.
Quercetin from the grapes used to make red wine can block an essential enzyme that correctly synthesizes alcohol in the liver.
What do other scientists say?
According to one news published in the magazine Sciencemany scientists are skeptical of this line of research and claim that the relationship between the length of the ring finger and that of the index finger; Known as the “2D:4D ratio”, it has no scientific relevance. “Over 20 years, more than 1,400 studies have been published on the subject, in which the most diverse correlations are speculated,” the note reads.
One of the main reasons for skepticism is that the hormone levels to which a fetus is exposed before birth cannot be directly measured in humans.and it is said that the basis of this line of research is mainly based on analysis of animal models. Furthermore, some of these studies would yield discordant results. “I don’t think finger length is a ‘reliable’ measure of the early hormonal environment,” says Melissa Hines, an expert in psychology and neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Article originally published in WIRED Italy. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
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