In fact, his “shaken-not-stirred” martini habit would probably have left him with some problems down below.
Researchers have found that 007 consumes four times the recommended limit of alcohol for men, which would likely leave him impotent.
A team at Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust read 12 of the Ian Fleming novels, and charted Bond’s drinking habits – and they found that he would drink between 65 and 92 units a week. No more than four units a day is the recommended limit for men. There were also examples where Bond drove when far over the limit.
Patrick Davies, one of the researchers explained: “In Goldfinger, for example, he drinks 18 units while having drinks and dinner with Auric Goldfinger before then driving home. In Casino Royale, he drinks over 39 units before engaging in a high-speed car chase, losing control, and spending 14 days in hospital. We hope that this was a salutatory lesson.”
Taking in to account his consumption across all titles the researchers said: “This consistent but variable lifetime drinking pattern has been reported in patients with alcoholic liver disease.”
They added that Bond was at “considerable risk of developing alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, impotence, and other alcohol-related health problems, together with being at serious risk of injury or death because of his drinking.
“We conclude that James Bond was unlikely to be able to stir his drinks, even if he would have wanted to, because of likely alcohol-induced tremor.”
