James Bond 'Would Be Impotent' Due To Booze

He drives fast cars and attracts beautiful women, but in reality James Bond's love of "shaken not stirred" martinis would leave him an impotent drunk.

That is the conclusion of researchers who have found that 007 drank more than four times the weekly recommended limit of alcohol for men.

The experts said although they appreciated the pressures to drink "when working with international terrorists and high-stakes gamblers", they would advise Bond seek help for how much alcohol he consumes.

Patrick Davies, from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, and a colleague read 12 of the Ian Fleming novels over a period of six months.

They found that on average, while on missions for Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond would drink between 65 and 92 units a week.

Men are advised not to go above three or four units a day.

There were many examples where Bond drove while over the limit and the researchers suggested he may have felt the need to drink due to the highly stressful nature of his job.

"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."

In the 12 books, 123.5 days were described, though Bond was unable to consume alcohol for 36 days because of "external pressures (admission to hospital, incarceration, rehabilitation)", the authors wrote in the British Medical Journal.

"His maximum daily consumption was 49.8 units (From Russia With Love, day three).

"This consistent but variable lifetime drinking pattern has been reported in patients with alcoholic liver disease."

The researchers said 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."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.